RICHMOND, Ky. – The Eastern Kentucky University women's basketball team had five players in double-figure scoring to dismantle Hanover College by a score of 94-43 on Monday night at Baptist Health Arena to open the season.
 
With Monday's win, EKU moves to 1-0 on the season and 2-1 in season-opening games under head coach Greg Todd.
 
Senior guard Alice Recanati was one of the many highlights in Monday's game for EKU scoring 19 points with nine rebounds and five assists. She moved to second in program history in career assists in the win.
 
Fifth-year forward Sierra McCullough recorded an 11-point, 10-rebound double-double in her EKU debut. 
 
Raphaela Toussaint (17), Antwainette Walker (14), and Althea Kara Angeles (13) were the other three Colonels who finished in double figures. EKU has had five players end with 10 or more points over five times in the last two seasons.
 
EKU opened Monday's game on an 8-0 run off two three-pointers by Walker and a second-chance layup by McCullough. Walker's two made threes in the first 120 seconds of the game tied her career-high mark. Walker recorded the Colonels' next two buckets to notch 10+ points before the media timeout.
 
A made free throw and a driving layup ended by McCullough ended the first quarter 22-10 in EKU's favor.
 
Walker hit two of EKU's three baskets to open the second period to combat Hanover's run bringing the score to eight. Five consecutive stop-and-score possessions pushed the Colonels' lead to 41-19 with 1:45 left on the clock. A made three-pointer from Toussaint and a layup from Recanati gave EKU a 22-point lead heading into the halftime break.
 
EKU's Toussaint hit her second three of the game to open the second half for the Colonels. McCullough, who had eight rebounds by the third quarter, completed a second-chance layup from her offensive rebound to extend EKU's lead to 27.
 
A stellar half from Hanover's Grace Bezold, who led the Panthers with 13 points in the game, tried to cut into the home team's lead. A six-point EKU swing in the final two minutes of the third quarter pushed the lead to 66-36.
 
EKU opened the fourth period scoring six of seven baskets to push its lead to nearly 40 points, which remained for the duration of the quarter to end the game 94-43, Colonels.
 
EKU forced Hanover to turn the ball over on 35 possessions, the team's most forced turnover since Nov. 11, 2021. The Colonels also ended the game shooting 43 percent from the floor and 68 percent from the charity stripe.
 
The Colonels will hit the road in their next game facing a long-time old conference rival in SIU Edwardsville on Thursday, Nov. 9 at 6 p.m. EST.

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