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MARTIN, Tenn. – Senior Alex Jones posted her fifth double-double in the last six games, but it was not enough as the Eastern Kentucky University women’s basketball fell at UT Martin, 75-60, on Monday night at the Elam Center.

EKU, which came into the game in first place in the OVC East, dropped to 13-8 (7-3 OVC) with the loss. UT Martin, the preseason OVC favorite, improved to 11-13 (6-4 OVC) with the win.

Eastern also entered the game as the top defensive team in the OVC, and limited UTM, the highest-scoring team and the second-best shooting team in the league, to just 37 percent (22-of-58) shooting from the field and 25 percent (7-of-27) shooting from deep; however, the Lady Colonels turned the ball over 23 times, compared to just 12 turnovers by the Skyhawks. UT Martin produced 19 points off EKU turnovers.

Jones posted season-highs in points (15) and rebounds (16) en route to her eighth double-double of the season and 32nd of her career. Junior Marie Carpenter led EKU with 17 points on 5-of-10 shooting from beyond the arc.

UTM’s guard duo of Jasmine Newsome and Heather Butler, the No. 1 and No. 2 scorers in the OVC, led the Skyhawks on the night, as Newsome poured in 27 points and Butler contributed 24.

Carpenter and seniors Brittany Coles and Raechele Gray combined to knock down four consecutive three-pointers in the first half as the Lady Colonels ran out to a 22-19 lead. However, UT Martin, spurred on by a NCAA-record setting three-pointer by Butler, closed the half on a 12-2 run to take a 31-24 advantage into the locker room at the break.

EKU got to within three, 44-41, on a three-pointer by Butler with 10:39 remaining in the game, but that would be as close as the Lady Colonels would get. The Skyhawks used a 10-0 run not long after that to grab a 13-point advantage, 61-47. They would lead by double-digits the rest of the way.

Eastern returns to action at in-state rival Morehead State on Saturday, Feb. 9, at 5:15 p.m.