Box Score (PDF) I Preseason WNIT Consolation Bracket

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The Eastern Kentucky University women's basketball team led at No. 17 West Virginia for a majority of the first half; however, the host Mountaineers used a late-half run to take the lead and never looked back as they defeated the Colonels, 67-42, on Saturday night at WVU Coliseum in the first round of the Preseason WNIT.
 
It was EKU's first season-opening loss since the 2011-12 season.
 
Sophomore Michaela Hunter scored the game's first points with a jumper at the 18:25 mark of the first half, and EKU led for the next eight minutes. Bria Holmes gave WVU its first lead of the night, 13-12, on a layup with 10:33 remaining in the half, but another Hunter jumper on EKU's ensuing possession put the Colonels ahead again.
 
Eastern stretched its advantage to three, 19-16, on a basket by sophomore Alexus Cooper with 7:24 on the clock, but that would be it for the Colonels in the first half, as WVU ended the first 20 minutes of play on a 14-0 run and took a 30-19 lead into the locker room at halftime.
 
West Virginia led by double digits the rest of the way.
 
EKU stymied defending Big 12 champion WVU to 35.3 percent (11-of-31) shooting in the first half; however, the Mountaineers shot 52 percent (13-fo-25) from the field in the a second half in which they slowly pulled away for the win.
 
Holmes – the Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year – led all players in the game with 23 points.
 
Hunter, junior Shameekia Murray and sophomore Mariah Massengill paced the Colonels with eight points apiece. Hunter also led EKU with seven rebounds on the night.
 
Despite missing junior Miranda Maples – last year's second-leading rebounder – to injury, EKU out-rebounded a much-taller WVU team, 24-23, in the first half. The Colonels were only out-rebounded in the game, 44-38.
 
EKU will now face Central Arkansas in the Preseason WNIT consolation bracket at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 21, at Mercer University in Macon, Ga.