CARBONDALE, Ill. – Four Colonels scored in double figures to power the Eastern Kentucky University women's basketball team to a 70-49 win over Southern Illinois on Sunday evening at the Banterra Center.
 
Sunday's win was the first of the season for EKU (1-2), who defeated the Salukis by 21 points in the first meeting between the program in 45 years.
 
Freshman guard Liz Freihofer led EKU with 13 points behind a 3-for-8 showing from beyond the arch. Forward Jasmine McGinnis-Taylor recorded the first double-double of her season with 12 points and 11 rebounds.  McGinnis-Taylor rejected a career-high five shots against Southern Illinois.
 
Additionally, guards Kaitlyn Costner and Althea Kara Angeles both scored 11 points and combined for four made three-point field goals.  Alice Recanati neared a triple-double with nine assists, seven points, and seven rebounds.  The Colonels made 10 threes in Sunday's win and held the Salukis to 30 percent shooting.
 
EKU opened its scoring barrage right out the gate with a 9-0 run off made baskets by McGinnis-Taylor, Costner, and a deep three from Angeles.  The Colonels held SIU to under 10 points in the first quarter.
 
A made three from Illinois native Mya Wardle started the second quarter and extended EKU's lead to 14.  The Colonels would go on to hit two more three-point shots before taking a 37-23 lead into the locker room at halftime.
 
Raphaela Toussaint scored layups on consecutive drives out of the halftime break to place the Colonels up 16 with under 18 minutes left in regulation.  EKU pushed its lead to 20 points three different times after the under-four media timeout, ending the quarter with a 54-34 lead over Southern Illinois.
 
Freshman Bre'Aria Cannon hit a three with 1:59 left in the fourth quarter to give EKU a 24-point margin over the Salukis, its largest lead of the game.  The Colonels would close out the game with another made basket from Cannon to end Sunday's contest with a 70-49 win over SIU in the first meeting between the two schools since 1979.
 
EKU shot 36.5 percent from the floor, 34.5 percent from deep, and 60 percent from the free throw line in the win.  EKU had 22 assists against Southern Illinois and forced the Salukis into 19 turnovers, over 81 percent (22-of-27) of EKU's made baskets were the result of an assist.
 
EKU's 54 rebounds on Sunday were its most since Nov. 25, 2023, in a win over Campbellsville-Harrodsburg at home.  The Colonels outrebounded the Salukis by a wide 15 boards in the win.
 
EKU returns to action on Thursday on the road against Michigan State, who is expected to enter next week either inside or receiving votes in the Associated Press' Top 25 poll.  The game can be streamed live on B1G Network+ beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET.