LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Behind 21 points from Antwainette Walker and 19 points from Alice Recanati, the EKU women's basketball team mounts a 79-66 win over in-state foe Bellarmine to secure its first win in Atlantic Sun Conference play on Saturday afternoon in Freedom Hall.
 
With the win, EKU moves to 12-5 on the season, the team's best start under head coach Greg Todd.
 
Walker dropped a team-leading 21 points on 7-of-13 (.538) shooting and 3-for-5 (.600) from beyond the arch.  Her 21-point showing was the 24th time in her career with 20 or more points.
 
Following Walker, Recanati totaled 19 points, while putting together a complete game adding five rebounds, four assists, and four steals to her line. 
 
Graduate guard Ivy Turner was the third Colonel in double figures with 11 points and a team-leading eight rebounds.  The Danville, Kentucky native was one rebound shy of tying her career-high value.
 
EKU opened Saturday's game on a 14-5 run behind back-to-back possessions with a made three-pointer from Walker.  The Colonels' third made three from guard Althea Kara Angeles would help extend EKU's lead to 21-8 as the first 10 minutes of play expired.
 
The Colonels would push their lead to 20 points scoring on the first three possessions of the second half.  EKU would allow Bellarmine to narrow their deficit to 13 points under the under-five media timeout, led by four made free throws and a jumper from the Knights' Ashlee Harris.  Despite the added effort from BU, a three from Recanati sent EKU to the locker room up 41-24.
 
Guard NeKiyah Thompson, who finished Saturday's win with five points, knocked down a three to put EKU back up 20 points with six minutes left in the third quarter.  Bellarmine won the final six minutes of the quarter cutting its deficit to just 14 after 30 minutes of play.
 
Bellarmine narrowed the gap to just 10 points with 7:00 on the clock off a made basket by Mackenzie Keelin.  The Knights continued their fight, bringing the game to seven points, but EKU hit 8-of-12 free throws in the final stretch to win its first game in conference play, 79-66.
 
EKU outshot Bellarmine in all three areas of the court on Saturday afternoon, including a 40.3 percent strike from the field.  The Knights claimed the advantage in rebounds (41-38) and assists (14-11).
 
The Colonels return to Richmond for two key conference games next week against Central Arkansas (Jan. 18) and North Alabama (Jan. 20).  Fans can purchase single game tickets starting at just $5 online here.