Box Score

CHARLESTON, Ill. – Eastern Kentucky lost 69-41 on Saturday to Ohio Valley Conference leader Eastern Illinois. Freshman Alex Jones led the Lady Colonels with 13 points and eight rebounds. Freshman Brittany Coles also added 13 points.

The Panthers (18-8, 13-1 OVC) shot 46.5 percent from the field, including 75 percent from three-point range, and made 26-of-30 from the free throw line. EKU (11-14, 7-8 OVC) made just 26 percent of its shots.

Ta`Kenya Nixon led EIU with 18 points. The freshman also had seven assists and six rebounds.

Eastern Illinois scored the first five points of the game and led 10-2 after a three-pointer by Dominique Sims with 17:13 to play in the opening half. A long two-pointer by Chantelle Pressley stretched the lead to double figures, 14-4, with 15:45 showing on the clock.

Eastern Kentucky made just two of its first 13 attempts from the field. The Lady Colonels third field goal didn’t come until the 8:44 mark, but it briefly cut the deficit to single digits, 18-9. Ashley Thomas answered on the other end with a three-pointer for the Panthers. EKU got as close as seven, 23-16, on a three-pointer by Coles, as the shot clock expired, with 5:22 to play before intermission.

The Lady Colonels didn’t score in the final four minutes of the first half. The Panthers scored their final nine points of the first half at the free throw line. EIU had a 32-17 lead at the break.

Eastern Illinois scored the first six points of the second half to go up by 21 points, 38-17, and never looked back. Eastern Kentucky never got closer than 16 the rest of the way.

The Lady Colonels will have a week off from game action. Next up for EKU is a short trip to face rival Morehead State on Saturday. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m.

Notes
Eastern Kentucky entered the game first in the OVC with an average of 58.8 points allowed per game. Eastern Illinois entered the game with the second best scoring offense (70.2) in the conference.

Eastern Illinois entered the game with the fifth longest active winning streak (12) in the nation.

EKU entered the game with the 48th best defensive field goal percentage (36.5 percent) in the nation. EIU entered the game with the 71st best team field goal percentage (42.3 percent).

In the first meeting of the season between the two teams, EKU and EIU combined for 43 turnovers. On Saturday the two teams had 48 turnovers combined.

Eastern Kentucky leads the all-time series 14-12. Eastern Illinois has won six straight and nine of the last 10 between the two teams.