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CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Senior Marie Carpenter scored a game-high 29 points while freshman Michaela Hunter poured in a career-high 20 points and sank six crucial free throws down the stretch as the Eastern Kentucky University women's basketball team defeated host Austin Peay, 79-71, on Saturday at the Dunn Center.

It is the Lady Colonels' second straight road victory and their third straight victory over the Lady Govs.

With the win, EKU improves to 15-9 (9-4 OVC) and retakes the OVC East lead from Belmont (12-15, 9-5 OVC), who lost to Eastern Illinois on Saturday. EKU and Belmont will face each other on Monday night at McBrayer Arena.

EKU led by 10 points, 59-49, when Carpenter sank a jumper at the 10:45 mark of the second half. However, Austin Peay clawed back into the game and pulled to within two, 69-67, when Beth Rates converted a pair of free throws with 3:19 remaining.

That is when Hunter took over. The freshman scored EKU's last 10 points and went 6-of-6 from the free throw stripe in the final minute of the game to help the Lady Colonels pull away for the crucial conference road victory.

Carpenter and Hunter are the first Lady Colonels to score 20 or more points in the same game since Carpenter and Brittany Coles did it on Jan. 29, 2011.

Carpenter knocked down 10 field goals on a career-high 31 attempts. Hunter, meanwhile, grabbed a team-high eight boards and came up with three steals.

Tiasha Gray paced four Lady Govs in double figures with 17 points. Rates turned in a double-double, scoring 12 points and grabbing 10 boards.

As a team, EKU went 24-of-27 (88.9 percent) from the free throw line in the win.

EKU also forced Austin Peay into 19 turnovers and scored 18 points off those turnovers. The Lady Colonels turned the ball over a season-low nine times.

EKU and Belmont will square off for the OVC East lead on Monday night at 7:00 p.m. ET.