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RICHMOND, Ky. – After opening Ohio Valley Conference play with a 69-49 win at Murray State on New Year’s Eve, the Eastern Kentucky University women’s basketball team returns home to host league foes SIUE on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. and Eastern Illinois on Monday at 7:00 p.m.
Saturday is Kids' Day at McBrayer Arena. All kids ages 12 and under get in for free.
The Lady Colonels are currently undefeated (6-0) at McBrayer Arena.
EKU (7-5, 1-0 OVC) is fresh off its most impressive win of the season, as the Lady Colonels shot 48 percent (28-of-58) from the field and a season-high 47 percent (8-of-17) from deep while stifling host Murray State to just 32 percent (18-of-56) shooting from the field to pick up their first road victory of 2012-13 on Monday. Senior
Jade Barber led the way, recording her sixth double-double of the season (12 points, 13 rebounds), while also blocking four shots and controlling the paint defensively. Fellow seniors
Brittany Coles,
Raechele Gray and
Alex Jones also scored in double figures in the win. EKU’s lone preseason All-OVC selection, junior
Marie Carpenter, returned to action against Murray State after missing the last 11 games with a hand injury. Carpenter scored two points off the bench.
The 69-49 win marked EKU’s largest margin of victory in a road conference game under fifth-year head coach
Chrissy Roberts.
EKU enters the weekend in second place in the OVC East (first-place Belmont is 2-0 in conference play) and has solidified itself as one of the top defensive teams in the league. The Lady Colonels lead the OVC in scoring defense (58.8 ppg), field goal percentage defense (35.2) and blocked shots per game (4.8).
Saturday’s game promises to feature a battle between two of the top post players in the league, as Barber will match up against SIUE’s Raven Berry. Barber comes in averaging a double-double (12.3 ppg, 10.3 rpg), while Berry is nearly averaging a double-double (12.8 ppg, 9.0 rpg).
SIUE (6-7, 0-1 OVC) arrives in Richmond having lost three consecutive games, including a 66-52 defeat at Belmont on Dec. 29. The Cougars, however, are 4-1 all-time against the Lady Colonels and defeated EKU, 66-55, last year at McBrayer Arena.
Eastern Illinois, conversely, has won two straight games, including a 76-67 win at Tennessee State in its OVC opener on Dec. 29. The Panthers, who were picked to finish second in the OVC West this season, are led by Mariah King (13.8 ppg) and Ta’Kenya Nixon (12.7 ppg).
EIU has won 10 straight games over EKU dating back to 2007 and leads the all-time series between the two programs, 16-14.
Following the games against SIUE and EIU, the Lady Colonels return to action on Saturday, Jan. 12, when they host in-state rival Morehead State at 4:00 p.m. at McBrayer Arena.