Box Score

RICHMOND, Ky. – Eastern Kentucky University’s women’s basketball team scored 11 points in a two-minute span in the first half to take control of its final exhibition game, an 80-75 victory over Lincoln Memorial University on Tuesday night. 

EKU sandwiched a pair of exhibition games around last Saturday’s season opener at Xavier.  The Lady Colonels are now set for their first regular season home game against a top-10 University of Louisville squad.

The No. 9 Cardinals will visit McBrayer Arena on Thursday.  Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Lincoln Memorial took a 16-12 lead on a free throw by Kiso Barnett with 11:47 remaining in the first half.  Eastern scored the next 11 points to turn that 4-point deficit into a 7-point lead and never trailed again.  Marie Carpenter keyed the run with a fast-break lay-up and a transition 3-pointer that gave the home squad a 23-16 lead at the 9:33 mark.

A lay-up by Brittany Coles as the horn sounded sent the Lady Colonels to the locker room with an 11-point advantage, 38-27.

Junior Alex Jones had a double-double at halftime, scoring 10 points and grabbing 11 rebounds.

An 8-0 Railsplitter run early in the second half, fueled by two Amberly O’Dell 3-pointers, got the visitors to within three, 40-37.  However, Eastern Kentucky answered with a 17-4 run to take its largest lead.  A 3-pointer by #LaRa`e Allen# capped the run and gave the Lady Colonels a 16-point advantage, 57-41, with 11:42 left to play.

LMU would get as close as three points again with just under two minutes to go, but Carpenter answered with a 3-pointer and Eastern made 3-of-4 from the charity stripe down the stretch to hold off the Railsplitters.

Jones finished the night with 23 points and 15 rebounds.  Carpenter went 4-for-6 from behind the three-point arc on her way to a 16-point performance.  Raechele Gray registered seven of Eastern Kentucky’s 20 assists and scored eight points.

Dayshalee Salaman scored 22 of her game-high 27 points in the second half for Lincoln Memorial and finished with nine assists.  MaRanda Boddie grabbed 12 boards for the visitors.

LMU shot 53 percent in the second half and 45 percent from the field for the game.  Eastern made 40 percent of its shots.