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EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – The Eastern Kentucky University women's basketball team won its fifth consecutive game on Saturday, going on the road to defeat Ohio Valley Conference foe SIUE, 59-54, at the Vadalabene Center.

It is EKU's first five-game winning streak since the 2004-05 season. It is also the Lady Colonels' first-ever win in Edwardsville in four tries.

With less than a minute to play, SIUE (4-10, 1-1 OVC) trailed by only two points, 53-51, and had the ball with a chance to tie it or take the lead; however, freshman Michaela Hunter stepped in front of a Cougar pass and converted a layup on the opposite end of the floor to give EKU (8-5, 2-0 OVC) a two-possession advantage, 55-51.

SIUE was not done, though, as Miranda Brandt knocked down a three-pointer on the other end of the floor, cutting the Lady Colonel lead to one, 55-54, with 16 seconds remaining in the game.

Senior Marie Carpenter, however, coolly knocked down four free throws in the final 12 seconds of play to seal the key OVC road victory and keep EKU atop the OVC East Division.

Carpenter, the OVC's top scorer, led all players in the game with 20 points, while fellow senior Pilar Walker added 12 points. Sophomore Shelly Harper, meanwhile, scored eight of her nine points in the second half while also grabbing two rebounds and coming up with two steals.

The Lady Colonels committed only 11 turnovers in the win.

EKU, which boasts the OVC's top-ranked defense, stifled SIUE to 33 percent (18-of-54) shooting from the field and 18 percent (2-of-11) shooting from beyond the arc.

Eastern closed the first half on a 9-2 run. Walker sparked the rally with a deep three-pointer and freshman Nicole Bowers ended it with a free throw as the Lady Colonels went into the locker room at halftime up by eight, 27-19.

EKU led by as many as eight points several times in the second half and as late as 2:53 remaining in the game when Carpenter knocked down a free throw to make it 51-43. The Cougars, however, cut that lead to two points less than two minutes later.

EKU continues its OVC road trip at Eastern Illinois on Monday at 8:00 p.m. ET.