Box Score

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Senior Jalen O'Bannon scored 16 points, grabbed six rebounds and blocked a career-best five shots but Eastern lost 81-66 at UNC Greensboro on Wednesday.
 
EKU (3-10) shot 58 percent in the first quarter and led by eight points early in the second quarter, but the Spartans tied the game at halftime and then used a 14-4 third quarter run to pull away.
 
Katie Pippen's three-pointer with 45 seconds to go in the first quarter gave the Colonels a five-point lead, 24-19, at the first break.  Back-to-back jumpers by Ann Jernigan and Shavontae Naylor early in the second quarter allowed the visitors to stretch their lead to eight points, 28-20.  UNCG scored the final five points of the first half to tie the game, 39-39, at halftime.
 
After a jumper by O'Bannon tied the score 44-44 with 7:28 left in the third quarter, UNC Greensboro scored nine straight points to key the game-changing 14-4 run.  A lay-up by Bailey Williams made it 53-44.  A free throw from Nadine Soliman capped the run and handed the home team a 10-point lead, 58-48.
 
EKU got as close as six in the fourth quarter, 65-59, on a lay-up by Naylor with 7:09 showing on the clock.  However, the Spartans scored 14 of the next 16 points to put the game away.
 
UNC Greensboro out-scored Eastern by 16 at the free throw line (25-9).  The Colonels shot 45 percent from the field, but turned the ball over 20 times.
 
Abby Wright finished with 11 points and six rebounds for Eastern Kentucky.  Te'ja Twitty and Soliman each scored 20 points for UNCG.  Alexis Pitchford added 19 points.
 
The Colonels begin Ohio Valley Conference play on Saturday at Southeast Missouri.  The game is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. ET.