Box Score

RICHMOND, Ky. – Eastern Kentucky made 14 three-pointers and used a late 15-3 run to defeat Murray State 83-73 tonight at McBrayer Arena. The game was each team’s Ohio Valley Conference opener.

Reese Bass led EKU (3-3) with a career-high 23 points. She hit five three-pointers and went 8-for-8 at the free throw line. Senior Cherie White made a career-high four treys and finished with a career-best 20 points to go along with eight rebounds.

Sophomore Alex Jones has played Murray State (2-5) three times in her career and has three double-doubles after finishing with 11 points and 18 rebounds.

Rachael Isom gave Murray State its first lead of the game, 46-45, on a lay-up and free throw with 13:33 left in the game. A three-pointer by Jessica Winfrey at the 10:03 mark stretched the Racer lead to five, 54-49, but MSU scored just three points over the next five and a half minutes.

Nadia Mossong started the game-changing run with a three-pointer to cut the lead to two. White’s three-pointer at the 5:51 mark tied the score 57-57. Freshman Marie Carpenter capped the 15-3 run by scoring the next seven points. Her two free throws with 4:46 remaining to play gave EKU a seven-point lead, 64-57. A three-pointer by Bass with 2:54 to go made it a 10-point game, 71-61. The Lady Colonels led by as many as 12 three times in the final 1:34.

Carpenter scored only three points in the first half, but she added 13 in the second to finish with 16 points.

Mariah Robinson led the Racers with 21 points. However, after scoring 17 in the first period, Robinson scored only two points in the first 19 minutes of the second half.

Eastern Kentucky out-rebounded Murray State 51-29. After committing 11 turnovers in the first half, the Lady Colonels turned it over only seven times in the second half.

EKU shot 41 percent (25-for-61) from the field including 14-for-31 from behind the arc for 45 percent. MSU shot 41 percent (29-for-70) from the field, but made only 6-of-18 attempts from deep.

Eastern hit eight three-pointers in the first half, but due in large part to 11 turnovers led by only five, 37-32, at halftime. Three-pointers on three straight possessions, two by White and one by Brittany Coles, gave Eastern a 31-23 lead with 3:45 on the clock. A trey by Bass with 1:38 before intermission made it an eight-point game for the third time, but Mariah Robinson answered for the Racers with her third three-pointer of the first half to cut the margin to five at the break.

Jones grabbed 11 first half rebounds, including seven off the offensive glass.

The Lady Colonels will play host to Tennessee-Martin on Saturday. Tip-off at McBrayer Arena is set for 4 p.m.

Notes
With her seventh rebound in the first half, sophomore forward Alex Jones reached the 300-mark for her career.

Alex Jones recorded her ninth career double-double. She is now tied for eighth with five others on EKU’s all-time double-doubles list (records since 1982-83).

Senior Cherie White had never made more than one three-point field goal in a game. She had two at halftime and finished with four treys against the Racers.

Cherie White set new career-highs with 20 points and four three-pointers. Her previous scoring best was 16 against UT Martin (12-6-08).

EKU entered the game with a 13-6 record when Cherie White scores 10 or more points. White had 12 points in the first half and the Lady Colonels improved to 3-0 this season and 14-6 all-time when White scores in double figures.

Senior Reese Bass scored a career-high 23 points. Her previous career-best was 10 points against Chicago State earlier this season and against Illinois in 2006-07. She also had a career-high five three-pointers and seven assists.

Murray State entered the game averaging 49 rebounds per game. The Racers had only 13 at halftime and were out-rebounded 51-29 for the game.

Murray State’s Mariah Robinson entered the game averaging 9.2 points per game. She had 17 at halftime and finished with 21 points.

Thursday’s game between EKU and Murray State was the 79th meeting between the two programs. EKU holds a 51-28 advantage in the all-time series.