Box Score

RICHMOND, Ky. – It was a battle of attrition on Wednesday night in McBrayer Arena, as the Eastern Kentucky University women’s basketball team overcame a poor shooting night by stifling its opponent, Kent State, into an even poorer shooting night in a 56-42 victory.

The undefeated Lady Colonels (2-0) have now won two straight to open the 2012-13 season. Both victories have come over Mid-American Conference opponents.

For the second consecutive game, senior Jade Barber led the way for EKU. The Louisville native stepped up and notched her second double-double in as many games this season, pouring in a team-high 16 points, grabbing a team-high 18 boards and swatting a team-high four shots.

After grabbing a career-high 21 rebounds against Miami (Ohio) last Friday, Barber is averaging 19.5 boards per game this season.

As a team, EKU out-rebounded Kent State, 50-39. The Lady Colonels now hold a +11.5 rebounding margin over their opponents.

Fellow seniors Brittany Coles and Raechele Gray also turned in solid efforts in the win. Coles dropped 12 points and dished out a team-best six assists, while Gray went for nine points and notched four steals.

Kent State did not have a scorer in double figures, as Amber Dunlap led the way with nine points.

EKU shot just 33 percent (21-of-64) from the field and 23 percent (3-of-13) from behind the arc; however, the Lady Colonels' strong defense stymied visiting Kent State to just 26 percent (14-of-54) from the field and seven percent (1-of-14) from long range.

Two games into the 2012-13 campaign, EKU’s perimeter defense has been effective, as the Lady Colonels are holding opponents to just 17 percent (5-of-30) shooting from three-point range. 

EKU started strong, as a bucket in the paint by freshman Shelly Harper made it 17-7 in favor of the Lady Colonels midway through the first half. However, Kent State responded with a 9-1 run and pulled back to within two, 18-16, on a tip-in by Heather Bachman with 7:01 on the clock.

Both teams went cold over the final seven minutes of the first half, and neither team scored a bucket in the last three minutes of play. A put-back by Barber with 3:18 remaining, though, was enough to send the Lady Colonels into the locker room at halftime up by six, 24-18.

Kent State hung around for much of the early part of the second half and pulled to within four, 38-34, on a layup by Trisha Krewson with 8:19 remaining in the game; however, Barber responded with a bucket in the paint that snapped a nearly five-minute scoring drought by the Lady Colonels, and a three-pointer by junior Pilar Walker soon after then sent EKU on a 12-2 run that ended with a jumper in the lane by Coles that made it 50-36 with less than five minutes to play. Kent State trailed by double digits the rest of the way.

EKU hits the hardwood again on Saturday with a 2:00 p.m. game against UNC Asheville at McBrayer Arena. The Lady Colonels will then fly to Puerto Rico to play in the San Juan Shootout over Thanksgiving Break.