BEREA, Ky. – Senior forward Jasmine McGinnis-Taylor dropped a career-best 18 points to lead the Eastern Kentucky University women's basketball team to an 89-61 win over Southeast Missouri State on Sunday evening at the Seabury Center.
 
Five Colonels scored in double-figures, led by McGinnis-Taylor and Kailani Lindsey who dropped career-high point values with 18 and 13, respectively.  Guards Kaitlin Costner (14), Alice Recanati (11), and Liz Freihofer (10) also scored in double-figures in the win.
 
EKU (2-3) records its first home victory of the season with Sunday's result and moves to 2-1 against non-power five and teams who are not inside or receiving votes in the AP Women's Top 25 poll.  SEMO (0-4) will enter next week's slate of games seeking its first win of the 2024-25 season.
 
McGinnis-Taylor neared her second double-double of the year with 18 points and nine rebounds.  Entering play on Sunday, the Omaha, Nebraska native was top three in the Atlantic Sun Conference and top 50 in the NCAA in rebounds. 
 
All 13 EKU student-athletes who checked into Sunday's game scored a basket.  Capria Brown logged a season-high five points while Faith Walker scored the first basket of her NCAA career.
 
EKU shot a season-high 44 percent from the floor and 41 percent from beyond the arch in the win.  The Colonels had assists in 20 of the team's 30 made field goals.
 
The Colonels jumped SEMO 11-3 in the first three minutes of Sunday's game off made three-point shots from Costner, Recanati, and a field goal by Raphaela Toussaint.  The Redhawks ended the period on a 16-11 run for a 22-19 deficit after 10 minutes of action.
 
EKU scored on three of its first five possessions to start the second quarter that pushed its lead to nine.  Lindsey scored twice late in the period, coming from inside the paint and off a fast break to send both teams to halftime with a seven-point, 39-32 EKU lead.
 
A made three-point shot by Freihofer pushed EKU's lead to 16 after the third quarter media timeout.  The Union, Kentucky native would go on to score two more times in the frame for a 58-48 EKU lead heading into the fourth quarter.
 
EKU shot 66 percent (8-12) in the fourth quarter and had a 30-point lead twice with under one minute left in regulation off a three from Ambah Kowcun and made free throws by Bre'Aria Cannon.  The Colonels never trailed in Sunday's win to earn an 89-61 win over its long-time conference rival for the second consecutive season.
 
EKU returns to action next Saturday on the road against Radford.  The game is scheduled to tipoff at 2 p.m. ET and can be viewed on ESPN+.