Box Score

KALAMAZOO, Mich. – Eastern Kentucky trailed by 10 less than four minutes into the game and trailed by as many as 11 points three times in the first half, but the Lady Colonels never folded in a 71-60 victory over Western Michigan on Sunday in Kalamazoo.

The Lady Colonels (1-2) used two WMU scoring droughts to turn the tide on their way to their first victory of the season.  Raechele Gray led Eastern with 18 points.  The junior made 4-of-6 attempts from three-point range and also had four rebounds, four assists and two steals.

Brittany Coles contributed 12 points and Alex Jones added 11 points.  Jasmine Stovall registered a team-best six rebounds.

The win snapped a nine-game losing streak that dated back to last season.  It was Eastern’s first road win since Feb. 20, 2010 at Morehead State, snapping a streak of 15 straight road losses.

Miame Giden was the only Bronco to score in double figures, finishing with 16 points and 11 rebounds.  Center Rachel Adaline posted nine points and seven rebounds, but she scored only three points and had two boards in the second half.

EKU missed its first six shots from the field and watched Western Michigan run out to a quick 12-2 lead.  Three-pointers on three straight possessions by the Broncos allowed the home squad to take an 11 point lead, 26-15, for the third time with 9:31 on the clock. 

The Lady Colonels went to their inside game to get back into the game.  Eastern went on an 11-0 run, holding Western Michigan scoreless for almost five minutes, on the back of center Jade Barber.  The junior accounted for six straight points.  Gray’s three-pointer with 5:42 remaining before intermission capped the run and tied the game 26-26.

Barber picked up her second foul shortly after and went to the bench for the rest of the half.  WMU took advantage and scored six unanswered, but the Lady Colonels got a three-pointer from Coles with 37 ticks left and went to the locker room down by only two points, 34-32.

An old-fashioned three-point play by Giden in the first minute of the second half gave Western Michigan a four-point lead, 37-33.  However, the Broncos suffered through their second five-minute scoring drought that allowed EKU to steal the momentum.

The Lady Colonels scored 11 unanswered to take a 44-37 lead with 14:31 left in the game.  Gray hit two three-pointers and Coles nailed one during the run.  WMU made one last run, scoring seven straight to get within three but an 8-2 EKU run put the game away.  LaRa`e Allen scored four of the eight, her second lay-up put Eastern on top by nine, 55-46, with 9:17 showing on the clock.

After missing half of its first 14 attempts from the free throw line, Eastern Kentucky put together a streak of 13 straight made free throws in the final six minutes.  EKU didn’t miss from the charity stripe until it had an 11-point lead and only six seconds remained.

The Lady Colonels will return to action on Friday at the Starwood Hotels of Atlanta Thanksgiving Classic hosted by Georgia State University.  EKU will face Appalachian State at 4 p.m.  Eastern and Campbell University will play at 2 p.m. on Saturday.