RICHMOND, Ky. – Eastern Kentucky University women's basketball wins its 9th-straight game inside Alumni Coliseum behind a 25-point, 11-rebound performance from Antwainette Walker and a near triple-double from Alice Recanati to defeat North Florida by a score of 71-41 on Saturday afternoon.
 
With the win, EKU (11-8, 4-2 ASUN) wins its first game in week three of ASUN Conference play, after a game was postponed last Thursday due to insufficient roster minimums concerning the Jacksonville program.
 
Walker recorded her 11th double-double of the season behind 25 points shooting 12-for-17 (.705) from the floor. The Lisle, Ill. native tacked on 11 rebounds in the effort, tying the third highest value of her career.
 
Redshirt-Sophomore Recanati nearly recorded the second triple-double of the season and the second in program history with 10 assists (Season-high), nine points, and eight rebounds.
 
Danielle Rainey scored 17 points 5-of-7 (.714) shooting from beyond the arch. The seventh-year graduate student has now recorded 17 points in back-to-back contests.
 
Walker went 4-for-4 from the floor to begin Saturday's contest, helping EKU extend a 20-2 run early in the game. Two Osprey baskets closed the first quarter with the score at 20-7 in the home team's favor, seven points is the fewest points allowed in a single quarter by EKU this season.
 
Back-to-back 3-pointers from Rainey and Recanati pushed the EKU lead to 26-8 to open the second frame. Rainey would proceed to hit another 3-pointer to push the Colonels over the 30-point hump. Marissa Mackins scored her first basket against her former team after the media timeout to give EKU a 20-point lead. Both teams would go scoreless in the final three minutes of play to close the half with a 35-17 EKU advantage.
 
EKU jumped North Florida out of the break scoring four of the first five shots of the quarter to extend its lead to 23. Heading to the under-5 media timeout, Walker hit three jumpers in consecutive possessions to place the Colonels above 50 points. She would close the frame dishing an inside look for a Bridgid Fox basket for a 29-point lead at the end of three.
 
Fox opened the final quarter with another basket, bringing her total to five points in the game. After three more scoring possessions from Recanati and Kalissa Lacy, the Colonels would keep its lead out of reach at 30 points. A 3-pointer from Emma Hacker finished the contest with the final score 71-41 in EKU's favor.
 
EKU held North Florida to 41 points, the lowest total points an EKU opponent has scored all season.
 
The Colonels shot 41.4 percent from the floor and outrebounded the Ospreys 54-39, the largest value of the season against a Division I opponent.
 
EKU returns to action on Monday, Jan. 23 at noon ET to face Jacksonville, originally scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 19, inside Baptist Health Arena. Monday's game is "Crowd the Coliseum" day inside AC, tickets start as low as $3. Fans not able to make the game can watch on ESPN+ or listen to 92.5 WEKY.
 
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