LYNCHBURG, Va. – EKU women's basketball sparred with Liberty (21-7, 15-2 ASUN), but failed to connect on a second half comeback, falling to the Lady Flames on Saturday night 90-77 inside Liberty Arena.
 
The Colonels (17-13, 10-7 ASUN) brought the deficit to single digits twice, but couldn't keep Liberty off the glass, who outrebounded EKU 54-35.
 
Antwainette Walker, a guard from Lisle, Ill., led the Colonels with 28 points on 9-of-18 shooting, setting the Liberty Arena single game scoring record and EKU single season field goal record on Saturday night. Walker added 13 rebounds in the contest, her 14th double-double of the season.
 
Danielle Rainey added 17 points in the loss, shooting 50 percent from the floor and two threes. Rainey needs two points to reach 1,000 in her career.
 
EKU went blow-for-blow with Liberty to the first quarter media timeout off made threes from Marissa Mackins and Alice Recanati. The Lady Flames ended the quarter on a 14-5 run and the lead 27-18.
 
Consecutive baskets by Mya Berkman opened the second quarter, who led LU with an eye-popping 20 points and 18 rebounds, pushing the Flames' lead to 13. An and-one by Walker brought the Colonels back to 10 points, however, the home team countered to extend back out to a 19-point lead.
 
With 4:21 remaining in the quarter, EKU hit four 3-pointers by Rainey, Walker, Mackins, and Emma Hacker in an artillery of long-range shots to cut the lead to seven. Free throws by Rainey with less than a minute remaining cut the EKU deficit to five, its smallest of the second quarter. EKU ended the frame on a 14-10 run heading to halftime.
 
In the third quarter, Liberty would extend its lead back to double digits, ending the frame up 15 at 75-60. Walker scored 9 of EKU's 17 points in 10-minute period.
 
The Lady Flames extended their lead to as much as 24 points in the last quarter. With two free throws and 2:01 left on the clock, Walker set the Liberty Arena single game scoring record with 28 points. Liberty ran down the clock to leave with its 21st victory of the season, 15 in ASUN play.
 
EKU extends its road swing next Wednesday against North Florida to conclude the regular season. EKU, who already clinched a placement in the 2023 ASUN Championship, awaits its location for the opening round on March 5. 

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