Box Score

DAYTON, Ohio – Eastern's women's basketball team had a two-point lead to start the fourth quarter, but Fort Wayne used an 11-2 run to take control on its way to a 68-59 victory on Wednesday at the Wright State Invitational.
 
Katie Pippen's lay-up off a Mastodon turnover gave EKU a 51-49 lead at the end of the third quarter.  However, Zaria Atkins scored the first five points of the fourth quarter to key Fort Wayne's 11-2 run.  IPFW scored the final six points of the run at the free throw line and led 60-53 with 4:27 left to play.
 
Pippen finished with a career-best 13 points.  She hit 3-of-5 from behind the arc and 5-of-10 from the field.  Jalen O'Bannon contributed 20 points and six rebounds.
 
The Mastodons (3-10) went 25-for-28 at the free throw line, outscoring the Colonels (3-9) by 15 at the stripe.  Fort Wayne shot 42 percent from the field, compared to 40 percent for Eastern Kentucky.
 
The Colonels fell behind early as Fort Wayne jumped out to a 10-2 lead.  However, EKU found its grove.  After falling behind by eight, Eastern ended the first quarter on a 20-8 run to go in front by four.  Pippen's first of three first half three-pointers gave her team its first lead, 11-10.  O'Bannon followed with a lay-up to end a streak of 11 unanswered points.  Mariah Massengill was fouled on a three-point attempt as the first quarter horn sounded.  She knocked down all three free throws to make it 22-18.
 
Fort Wayne tied it by scoring the first four points of the second quarter before Eastern Kentucky answered with another run.  A Pippen three-pointer from the left wing got it started.  Tae'Lour Richardson finished off the 12-4 spurt with a free throw that gave the Colonels a 34-26 lead with 3:47 left in the second quarter. 
 
The Mastodons climbed back into the game by ending the first half on a 6-0 run to cut their deficit to 37-35 at the break.  EKU scored the first four points of the third quarter to go back on top by six, but led by just two, 51-49, at the end of the period.
 
De'Jour Young finished with a team-best 19 points and game-high nine rebounds for Fort Wayne.  Atkins scored 18.
 
The Colonels will return to action on Dec. 28 when they play at UNC Greensboro.  Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.