NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Behind a 21-point performance from graduate guard Ivy Turner, EKU women's basketball outlasts Tennessee State in the 71st meeting between the two programs by a score of 79-69 on Friday night inside the Gentry Center.
 
Turner, a native of Danville, Ky., led all scorers on Friday night with 21 points while shooting 7-of-12 from the floor with four made three-pointers.  Her four made threes tied her career high value set her sophomore season.
 
Alongside Turner, Antwainette Walker recorded her 38th consecutive game in double-figure scoring with 18 points and a team-leading eight rebounds.  Junior guard Alice Recanati was the third Colonel in double-figure scoring with 12 points and a game-high six steals.  Recanati's six steals against TSU tied her career-high value for the fourth time in four seasons in Richmond.
 
Guards Kaitlyn Costner and NeKiyah Thompson made their EKU debuts in the win over Tennessee State, which included a career-high 9-point performance for Costner going 4-of-5 from the field and her first career made three.
 
Thompson logged 13 minutes of action and scored four points, two steals, and two assists.
 
A slow start opened Friday's contest for EKU and Tennessee State which results in an even 9-9 total for both teams at the first quarter media timeout.  The Colonels ended the first on a 6-2 run off a pair of made free throws and layup from Brie Crittendon, and a made jumper from Costner to wrap up the period, 18-15 EKU.
 
The back-and-forth contest continued throughout the second quarter with three ties and four lead changes. Walker knocked down two three-pointers in the final four minutes of the half to separate the Colonels, 36-32, at the halftime break.
 
Tennessee State re-claimed the lead just one minute into the third quarter off a made three from Ebony Williams, who ended the night with 11 points on 50 percent shooting.  Turner, who earned player of the game honors on Friday, went on an eight-point swing off two made threes and layup before the media timeout to extend the Colonels lead to 45-38.  
 
TSU clawed its way back into contention despite another basket by Turner and a made bucket from Costner to end the third period down four, 56-52.
 
EKU opened the final 10-minute period of regulation on a 14-2 run, which pushed its largest lead of the night to 13 with six minutes left in the game.  Despite the Tigers cutting the lead to just six with under three minutes remaining, another made three from Turner sealed a 79-69 win for the Colonels on the road for the third time this year.
 
EKU ended Friday's game shooting 50 percent from the floor with nine made threes, the second highest total for the Colonels this season.  TSU outrebounded EKU 37-31 and forced the Colonels into 17 turnovers.
 
EKU (9-2) is back in action on Sunday against Chattanooga (10-1) on the road.  Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. EST and can be viewed on ESPN+.