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RICHMOND, Ky. – The Eastern Kentucky University women’s basketball team connected on a season-high 10 three pointers as the Lady Colonels defeated Ohio Valley Conference foe Jacksonville State, 80-69, on Saturday at McBrayer Arena.

With the win, EKU improved to 15-8 (9-3 OVC) and 11-1 at home. The loss dropped JSU to 0-25 (0-13 OVC) on year.

Junior Marie Carpenter and senior Brittany Coles led Eastern in the victory. Carpenter knocked down three three-pointers and scored 23 points, while Coles knocked down four triples and scored a season-high 18 points. Senior Alex Jones, meanwhile, posted her 10th double-double of the season and 34th of her career, scoring 11 points and grabbing a team-high 11 rebounds. Jones is now four double-doubles shy of tying the EKU career record, and 18 rebounds shy of moving past Sandra Mukes to No. 2 on the EKU career rebounds list.

As a team, EKU was 44 percent (28-of-63) from the field and 41 percent (10-of-24) from behind the arc, its best shooting effort since a 69-49 win at Murray State on Dec. 31, 2012.

Five JSU players reached double figures in the losing effort. Miranda Cantrell led the way with 17 points, while Candace Morton contributed 12 points, eight rebounds and five assists.

The Gamecocks out-rebounded the Lady Colonels, 38-36, marking only the second time EKU has been out-rebounded in its last 14 games.

A layup by freshman Shelly Harper off an assist from junior Pilar Walker capped an early 9-0 run for EKU and gave the Lady Colonels a 14-8 advantage with 13:11 to play in the first half.

Eastern took its largest lead of the half, 32-18, when Coles buried a three-pointer with 3:11 on the clock. After JSU cut that lead to six with a 10-2 run, Carpenter beat the buzzer with a trey from the corner that sent the Lady Colonels into the locker room at halftime up by nine, 37-28.

Jacksonville State, however, did not go away. The Gamecocks stormed out of halftime and took the lead, 48-47, when Cantrell converted a layup at 13:57 mark of the second half. On EKU’s ensuring possession, though, Coles sunk a three-pointer to give EKU the advantage, this time for good. Following Coles’ three-pointer, the Lady Colonels went on a 10-2 run, and then used an 11-2 run later in the game to finally put Jacksonville State away.

EKU returns to action on Monday with a key conference matchup against Tennessee Tech, with whom the Lady Colonels are currently tied in the OVC East. Tip is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.