NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Eastern Kentucky University women's basketball team suffered a 64-59 loss at Lipscomb to open Atlantic Sun Conference play on Thursday night inside Allen Arena.
 
With the loss, EKU fell to 11-4 on the season and dropped its first league opening game under head coach Greg Todd.
 
The Colonels were led by forward Jasmine McGinnis-Taylor, who recorded the first double-double of her career with 11 points and 10 rebounds.  The Omaha, Nebraska native shot 5-of-8 from the floor while adding two assists and a steal to her final line.
 
Guard Ivy Turner dropped a team-leading 14 points, her 77th career and 10th game this season in double-figure scoring.  Two other Colonels, Alice Recanati (11) and Kaitlyn Costner (10) found themselves in double-figure scoring in Thursday's contest.
 
Lipscomb opened on a 10-3 run in the first seven minutes of Thursday night's game.  The Colonels found baskets by Costner in the last three minutes of the first quarter to close with a 13-7 deficit.
 
The Bisons capitalized on made baskets from Molly Heard and Bella Vinson to extend their lead to eight points beginning the second quarter.  EKU scored on its next four possessions, highlighted by a McGinnis-Taylor and-one and Althea Kara Angeles three-pointer, giving the Colonels a 20-19 lead.
 
Lipscomb ended the first half on a 6-0 run off six consecutive free throws to claim the first half by a score of 31-27.
 
Despite the back-and-forth action to end the first half, LU and EKU went scoreless in the first three minutes of the third quarter, halted by a four-point swing from the Bisons' Aleah Sorrentino.  EKU found three-pointers from Turner and Recanati, but failed to overcome Lipscomb's offensive pressure to end the third down 51-45.
 
EKU cut the deficit to one point to open the fourth quarter as Costner drained her only three of the night.  Both teams would follow the EKU three scoring on the next five possessions of the game, but Lipscomb pulled away with under three minutes remaining to claim the ASUN opener, 64-59.
 
Lipscomb ended Thursday's game shooting 43 percent from the floor, 42 percent from deep, and 72 percent from the charity stripe – widely outshooting EKU in all three categories.  The Bisons also claimed the rebounding total over EKU, 40-35.
 
EKU returns to action on Saturday seeking revenge over Austin Peay, who knocked the Colonels out of the ASUN Championship last season, at 3 p.m. EST inside F&M Bank Arena.  Tickets are available for purchase starting at $20 on Ticketmaster.