Box Score

CHARLESTON, Ill. – A career night from Alexus Cooper helped the EKU women's basketball team to its third consecutive Ohio Valley Conference win with a 75-56 victory over Eastern Illinois University at Lantz Arena on Thursday.
 
The Colonels (9-6, 3-1 OVC) carried a seven-point advantage into the final period, before outscoring the Panthers 28-16 in the final stanza. Ten of Eastern's fourth period points came from Cooper, as she was 4-for-4 from the floor in the closing 10 minutes.
 
Eastern led 54-47 with less than eight minutes to play, as Shameekia Murray found Cooper in the paint for the score. After an EKU defensive stop, it was Murray again who found a wide-open Cooper for the long ball, extending the Colonels' lead to 12, 59-47.
 
The Colonels converted on their ensuing three possessions, before Cooper sank yet another jumper off a pass from junior Michaela Hunter. After denying the Panthers a make on their offensive possession, Cooper tracked down the defensive rebound and netted her fourth three-pointer of the night to give the Colonels at 21-point lead with 3:47 remaining.
 
Freshman Ashley Johnson picked the pocket of EIU's Grace Lennox and found Murray for the score, giving the Colonels their largest lead of the night, 74-49, with 2:43 left to play.
 
The Colonels clung to a five-point advantage in the opening minutes of the fourth period, before Hunter's free throws with 8:26 remaining ignited the solidifying run. From there, EKU outscored the Panthers 24-6 over 5:43 to seal its third straight conference victory.
 
EKU shot 40 percent from the field in the first half, while holding the Panthers to a mere 29 percent to take a six-point lead into the locker room.
 
Hunter posted her second double-double of the season, netting 21 points and 13 rebounds. She added seven assists and three steals in the win, as junior Jalen O'Bannon also scored in double figures, tallying 10 points to go with six boards.
 
Cooper went 9-for-12 from the field, including 4-for-4 from behind the arc. She also logged three assists and three steals, along with her career-high 19 points. 
 
EKU continues OVC play on Saturday, as the Colonels take on Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Saturday's game is slated to begin at 5 p.m. ET.