Box Score (PDF)

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Sophomore Michaela Hunter poured in a career-high 40 points to lead the Eastern Kentucky University women's basketball team to a thrilling, 97-93 double-overtime victory over Ohio Valley Conference foe Tennessee Tech on Saturday night at the Eblen Center.
 
It is EKU's (8-9, 3-4 OVC) third straight OVC road win and second straight win over Tennessee Tech (5-16, 2-6 OVC) in Cookeville, a place at which – until last year – the Colonels had not won since 2003.
 
Hunter was the catalyst of the victory, as her 40 points are the third-most ever scored by an EKU women's basketball player in a single game. The Mt. Vernon, Kentucky native also made the key play of the game, as she converted a coast-to-coast layup with 1.5 seconds in regulation to tie the game and send it into its first overtime.
 
However, all 10 Colonels who played had fingerprints on the win. Junior Miranda Maples scored a career-high 21 points, grabbed nine boards, knocked down two big free throws with just over a minute to play in the first overtime and buried a three-pointer with the Colonels down one, 92-91, and less than a minute to play in the second overtime.
 
Junior Shameekia Murray added 16 points and seven rebounds and went 6-of-6 from the free throw line, two of which gave the Colonels a 91-90 lead with 1:26 to play in the second overtime.
 
It was junior Jasmine Stafford, however, that hit, arguably, the biggest free throws of the game. With EKU up by two, 94-92, and 30 seconds to play in the second overtime, Stafford calmly sank two free throws to give the Colonels a two-possession lead and, essentially, seal the win. Hannah Goolsby converted only one free throw on Tech's ensuing possession and then missed a desperation three-pointer with eight seconds on the clock to end the game.
 
It was EKU's first double-overtime game since a 91-86 win over Tennessee State on January 29, 2011.
 
The Colonels notched season highs in three-pointers (12) and free throws (25) made in the game.
 
Samaria Howard paced Tech with 20 points and nine rebounds. T'Keyah Williams added a double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds.
 
Catherine Taylor hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to give Tech a 41-39 lead at halftime, and the Golden Eagles rode that momentum to a 10-point lead, 61-51, with 7:26 to play in the game.
 
TTU led by seven, 72-65, with 1:35 left to play. After Maples and Hunter both knocked down a pair of free throws to cut EKU's deficit to three, the Colonels used full-court press to force a steal and Murray knocked down a three-pointer to tie the game, 72-72, with 45 ticks on the clock.
 
Williams gave TTU the lead again, 74-72, with a layup with nine seconds remaining; however, Hunter responded with a coast-to-coast drive and bucket that tied the game with 1.5 seconds to play and sent it into overtime.
 
EKU returns to action on Wednesday, January 28, when the Colonels travel to play Jacksonville State at 12:00 p.m. ET.