Box Score

RICHMOND, Ky. – Freshman Shakeyia Colyer connected on a driving lay-up with 18 seconds left and senior Colette Cole swiped the ball away from a driving Tacarra Hayes with five seconds to go to help Eastern Kentucky edge Tennessee Tech, 61-60, Thursday night at McBrayer Arena.

The Lady Colonels (10-12, 6-6 OVC) snapped a six-game conference losing skid that began with a 28-point loss to Tennessee Tech in Cookeville.

The Golden Eagles (9-13, 4-8 OVC) led by four with 47 seconds left in the game. After an EKU timeout, Sarah Fraser-Jones knocked down a three-pointer from the left corner with 30 seconds to go. Eastern fouled immediately and sent Hayes to the line but the sophomore missed the front end of a one-and-one. Colyer drove the length of the floor and laid it in with 18 seconds on the clock to put the Lady Colonels on top by one.

Cole stripped Hayes of the ball but left Tech with one last chance when she missed both free throw attempts with four seconds remaining. However, the Golden Eagles failed to get off a shot before the horn sounded.

Colyer led EKU with a career-best 17 points. She also had four rebounds and only turned the ball over twice in 36 minutes on the court. Alex Jones added 15 points and five boards. Fraser-Jones finished with 10 points, five assists, five rebounds and one three-pointer.

Eastern turned the ball over 15 times and had only four turnovers in the second half. The Lady Colonels had averaged 23.5 turnovers in their last two games. EKU also turned the tide at the free throw line. In two games last week Eastern was out-scored 43-6 at the charity stripe. Against TTU, the Lady Colonels held a 14-13 advantage at the line.

Tiara Hopper came off the bench to lead Tennessee Tech with 17 points. Hayes added 16 and Krystal Stirrup contributed 13 points.

After a three-pointer by Kylie Cook got the Golden Eagles on the board and drew the visitors within one, 4-3, the Lady Colonels went on an 18-2 run, including scoring 13 unanswered points. Colyer connected on a pair of three-pointers and a lay-up during the run. Nadia Mossong’s driving lay-up capped the run and gave EKU a 22-5 lead with 13:25 left in the first half.

A jumper by Brittany Coles and a free throw from Jones with 10:09 showing on the clock kept the margin at 17, 26-9. However, after the free throw Eastern went over three and a half minutes without scoring and the Golden Eagles put together a string of seven unanswered to get within 10, 26-16. TTU stretched its run to 14-2 to get within five, 28-23, with 3:02 remaining before intermission.

The Lady Colonels carried a five-point advantage, 34-29, into the locker room at the break.

The Golden Eagles drew closer and closer through the first seven minutes of the second half. TTU closed the deficit to one on three occasions before taking a 44-42 lead on a deep three-pointer by Cook with 13:06 left in the game.

The lead changed hands six times over the next four minutes. EKU suffered through a scoring drought that last more than four minutes, but the best Tech could do is ease out to a three-point advantage on a free throw by Hopper with 5:45 left in the game. After a jumper by Hayes made it a four-point game, 58-54, with just over three minutes remaining, the Golden Eagles only scored two more points.

Tennessee Tech shot 50 percent from the field for the game and held a 31-30 rebounding advantage. Eastern Kentucky shot 41.5 percent from the field.

The Lady Colonels will host Jacksonville State on Saturday. Tip-off at McBrayer Arena is scheduled for 4 p.m.

Notes
Earlier in the day, senior Colette Cole was selected CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine First Team Academic All-District. As a first team selection, Cole will be placed on the Academic All-America ballot.

After winning five straight conference games to start the season, EKU lost six straight against league foes. That streak began on Jan. 9 at Tennessee Tech.

In the first meeting of the season between the two teams, Tennessee Tech won by 28 points, made 10 three-pointers and out-rebounded EKU by 26, including 18 offensive rebounds. On Thursday, TTU made just three three-pointers, out-rebounded Eastern by only one and totaled just five offensive rebounds.

The Lady Colonels averaged 23.5 turnovers per game in their previous two contests. On Thursday against Tennessee Tech, EKU turned it over 15 times.

For just the fourth time this season, and the second time against Tennessee Tech, the Lady Colonels committed fewer turnovers than their opponent (19-15).

EKU has held 12 of its last 17 opponents to 60 points or less. Eastern has held 17 of its 22 opponents this season to 65 points or less.

Eastern Kentucky entered the game ranked 26th in the nation in three-point field goal percentage defense (27.6 percent). Tennessee Tech shot 37.5 percent (3-for-8) from three-point range. EKU has held eight of its last 12 foes, to 27 percent shooting or less from three-point range.

The Eastern Kentucky bench had out-scored its opponents’ bench in 13 of its last 14 games before tonight. TTU held a 20-13 advantage off the bench.

Tennessee Tech leads the all-time series 55-21. Eastern is now 14-20 against the Golden Eagles in Richmond.