Box Score
RICHMOND, Ky. – Eastern Kentucky’s women’s basketball team turned the ball over nine times in the first six and a half minutes, trailed by 13 late in the first half, staged a second half comeback to take a seven-point lead, but couldn’t hold off Austin Peay in a 66-63 loss on Monday night.
With a one-point lead, APSU’s Whitney Hanley connected on two free throws with 12 seconds left. EKU’s
Carla Booth got a good look at a tying three pointer with three seconds to go, but the ball didn’t fall through.
The Lady Colonels’ slow start allowed the Lady Govs to jump out to a 15-8 lead. EKU (6-7, 2-1 OVC) got within three before a 10-0 run allowed APSU (4-12, 1-2 OVC) to take its largest lead, 29-16, with 6:38 before intermission. Eastern closed the gap to five but trailed by seven, 34-27, at halftime.
Austin Peay scored 11 of its first 17 off EKU turnovers. Eastern had 13 turnovers at the break.
An 8-2 run to start the second half brought the Lady Colonels to within a point, 36-35, but the Lady Govs answered with a 6-0 run to back on top by seven. Eastern then went on what appeared to be a game-changing run, scoring 11 unanswered as part of a 17-4 run. Austin Peay went more than five and a half minutes without scoring. A three-pointer by
Marie Carpenter with 9:01 left capped the run and put EKU on top 52-46. A three-pointer by Booth with 7:49 to go gave the Lady Colonels their largest lead, 57-50.
Eastern Kentucky failed to maintain the momentum and suffered through a scoring drought of its own. After Booth’s basket APSU scored 12 straight as EKU went more than six minutes without scoring.
The Lady Colonels got within a single point twice in the final minute but the Lady Govs held on.
Hanley led all scorers with 24 points to go along with eight rebounds. Meghan Bussaberger added 18 for the visitors. Carpenter led Eastern with 19 points.
EKU finished with 20 turnovers, compared to 16 for the Lady Govs.
The Lady Colonels will conclude their three-game home stand on Saturday against Southeast Missouri. Tip-off at McBrayer Arena is set for 4 p.m.
