Box Score
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – A shot at the buzzer by
Reese Bass bounced off the rim and Eastern Kentucky lost by one, 61-60, on Monday at Southern Illinois Edwardsville. Courtney Kenner made two free throws with 7.6 seconds left in the game to put the Cougars on top.
Eastern overcame a four-point halftime deficit and took a one-point lead four times in the second half, but could never build a cushion. The Cougars used a 12-3 run to open up an eight-point advantage with 6:39 left in the game. A three-pointer by Melia Duncan capped the run and put SIUE on top 55-47.
The Lady Colonels fought back again. After a lay-up by Raven Berry gave SIU Edwardsville a seven-point lead, 57-50, EKU went on a 10-2 run to take their final lead of the game. Eastern went 8-for-8 from the free throw line during the run. A pair of free throws by
Alex Jones capped it off and put the visitors in front 60-59 with 31 seconds on the clock.
Neither team scored again until Kenner went to the free throw line with 7.6 seconds to play and connected on both attempts to swing the lead back to the Cougars. The Lady Colonels drove the length of the floor and Bass put up a shot to win the game from the left wing, just inside the three-point arc, but the ball bounced off as time expired.
Jones led EKU with 19 points. Brittany Coles added 18 points. Allyssa Decker came off the bench to score a team-best 18 points for SIU Edwardsville. Jazmin Hill made five three-pointers and finished with 16 points for the home squad.
The Lady Colonels were unable to build upon their one-point second half leads due in large part to poor rebounding. After losing the rebounding battle in the first half 17-13, SIU Edwardsville beat EKU 21 to 14 on the glass in the second half, 14 of which were offensive boards.
EKU shot 43 percent for the game while SIUE made 42 percent of its shots. The Cougars were 7-for-17 from behind the arch. Eastern went 4-for-12 from deep, but out-scored SIU Edwardsville by 12 at the free throw line.
The Lady Colonels will play at rival Morehead State on Saturday. The game is scheduled to begin at 3:45 p.m.
