Box Score

RICHMOND, Ky. – The Eastern Kentucky University women’s basketball team led from start to finish in a 61-43 victory over visiting Presbyterian College Friday night in the opening round of the Comfort Suites Invitational. EKU will take on Jackson State in the championship game tomorrow at 4:30 p.m.

With the win, Eastern (4-3) improves to 4-0 in McBrayer Arena this season. Presbyterian had its two game winning streak snapped and falls to 4-4.

Seniors Jade Barber and Alex Jones paced the Lady Colonels with a pair of double-doubles. Barber posted a season-high 21 points to go along with 11 rebounds. Meanwhile, Jones tallied her 25th career double-double thanks to finishing with 12 points and 10 boards. Fellow senior Raechele Gray added 12 points while freshman Alexus Cooper came off the bench to chip in with eight points in 22 minutes of action.

Karlee Taylor was the only Presbyterian player to reach double-figure points with 12.

Back-to-back buckets from Barber gave EKU its largest lead of the first half at 24-12. The Blue Hose went through a nine-minute stretch where they scored just two points. However, Presbyterian responded with nine consecutive points before halftime to cut the deficit to three points, 24-21.

Eastern Kentucky scored the first four points in the second half and never looked back. Gray netted a trifecta with 10:16 remaining to push the lead back to double figures, 44-34. The Blue Hose never got closer than 10 points the rest of the way.

The Lady Colonels shot 48.4 percent (15-of-31) from the field and outrebounded Presbyterian by 10 (25-15) in the final 20 minutes of action.

This was the first ever meeting between the two programs.

Eastern Kentucky and Jackson State will meet in the championship game of the Comfort Suites Invitational tomorrow, Dec. 1. Tip time is set for 4:30 p.m. The consolation game featuring Marshall and Presbyterian is slated to start at 2 p.m.

Jackson State 67, Marshall 63

In game one of the Comfort Suites Invitational, Tiffany Kellum scored a team season-high 25 points to lead Jackson State to a 67-63 win over Marshall. Kellum also led all players with 10 rebounds.

Jackson State (2-4) led by as many as 10 points in the second half at 54-44, only to see Marshall (3-3) rally in the final minute. Marshall’s Orlandria Williams scored five points in a span of two seconds to help the Thundering Herd cut the deficit to two points, 65-63, with 13 seconds remaining in regulation.

However, Kellum knocked down a pair of free throws to seal the victory for the Lady Tigers.

Shay Weaver paced Marshall with 17 points thanks to draining five three-pointers.