EAST LANSING, Mich. – The Eastern Kentucky University women's basketball team fought hard in the first half to trail by four at halftime against Michigan State.  The Spartans shot 67 percent in the second half making 20-of 30 field goals to claim a 96-54 win over the Colonels on Thursday night at the Breslin Center.
 
Senior forward Raphaela Toussaint recorded her 1,000th career point between five seasons Rider University and EKU.  She made two of the Colonels' first three made baskets in Thursday's game to notch the milestone.  The Kingston, Ontario native ended her night with 10 points, five rebounds, and three assists.
 
Senior guard Alice Recanati led the Colonels with 17 points on 70 percent shooting, including a perfect 6-for-6 stretch to open the game.  Fellow guard Kaitlyn Costner had eight points and tied for the team lead with three assists.
 
EKU (1-3) had seven steals and 13 fast break points in Thursday's loss.  Michigan State (4-0) improves on its perfect start to the season, four Spartans scored in double-figures led by Julia Ayrault who had 19 points on 8-for-18 shooting.
 
The Colonels opened Thursday's game matching bucket-for-bucket with Michigan State, who is receiving votes in the AP Top 25 poll this week.  Toussaint had two of EKU's first three buckets to hit her points milestone tie the game at seven all with 7:33 remaining in the first period.  EKU took the lead twice in the first quarter, only ending the frame down 19-15.
 
EKU scored on its first three possessions in the second period to take a 23-19 lead with under eight minutes left until halftime.  Recanati went 6-for-8 from the floor with 13 points in the first half to take a four-point, 39-35, deficit into the locker room.
 
Quarters three and four were all Michigan State, who shot 67 percent (20-30) from the floor and outscored the Colonels, 57-19, in the 20-minute span.  The Spartans earned their fourth win of the season on Thursday defeating EKU, 96-54.  EKU's 54 points in Thursday's loss were the most points scored against the Spartans in their 4-0 start to the 2024-25 season.
 
EKU will return home to face Southeast Missouri State on Sunday at the Seabury Center on the campus of Berea College.  Sunday's game is scheduled to tip at 3 p.m. ET and the Seabury Center Information page can be found online here.