BATON ROUGE, La. – The Eastern Kentucky University women's basketball team will open the 2024-25 season on the road against the No. 7 ranked LSU Lady Tigers on Monday night inside the famous Pete Maravich Assembly Center in front of a packed house.
 
Monday's season opener is scheduled to tipoff at 8 p.m. EST and can be viewed live on SEC Network+ with Lyn Rollins and Garrett Walvoord on the call.  For more on how to access SECN+ on your TV, smartphone, tablet, or computer – click here.  The game will also be available on 92.5 WEKY with Wes Chandler courtside over the airwaves.
 
Fans looking to see the Colonels in action can find tickets online here.
 
Coming off a historic 2023-24 season that saw EKU's first 20-win season since 2005 and first appearance in the Women's National Invitational Tournament (WNIT) since 2002, the Colonels are primed to return to their successes under head coach Greg Todd – who enters his fourth season at the helm on Monday night.
 
EKU returned three members off last year's starting lineup in guards Alice Recanati, Kaitlyn Costner, and 6-foot-3 forward Jasmine McGinnis-Taylor.  The Colonels also returned role players in Raphaela Toussaint, Althea Kara Angeles, and Kailani Lindsey who are set to make impacts this season.  
 
Monday's game against LSU will mark the EKU debut for eight newcomers to the 2024-25 roster, consisting of four additions out of the transfer portal and four players from the prep ranks.
 
Recanati, EKU's program leader in assists, is set for her final season of collegiate basketball beginning on Monday.  She was named Third Team All-ASUN last season and enters the 2024-25 season on the Atlantic Sun Conference's preseason watchlist.  Since her arrival in 2020, the Bergamo, Italy native has recorded 1,169 points, 537 assists, and 446 rebounds – she will enter the season top 25 in program history in over nine categories.
 
The Colonels were tabbed fourth in the ASUN preseason coaches' poll and fifth in the media poll.  The program reached the semifinals in the ASUN Tournament for the first time last season and have qualified for the field in all three of its season's as a member institution in the league.
 
Scouting LSU
LSU enters the 2024-25 season ranked No. 7 in the country in both major top 25 polls and are coming off a 31-6 record last season that ended in the NCAA Elite Eight.  Under hall of fame head coach Kim Mulkey, the Lady Tigers were crowned the 2023 NCAA National Champions after topping Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes in Dallas.  In their last two seasons, LSU has a 35-1 record at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center (PMAC) and are 28-4 against Southeastern Conference (SEC) opponents.
 
LSU has three players ranked inside ESPN's 2024-25 Preseason Player Rankings in Aneesah Morrow (No. 7), Flau'Jae Johnson (No. 8), and Mikaylah Williams (No. 17) – one of only two teams in the nation with three players inside the top 20. 
 
Morrow will enter the season as the nation's active leader in career rebounds (1,229) – only needing 361 to move into fifth in NCAA history.  The Chicago native is also ranked third amongst returners in the NCAA in points (2,178) – last season she averaged 16.4 points and 10.0 rebounds per game.
 
History vs. LSU
Monday's game in Baton Rouge is the first meeting between EKU and LSU.  EKU is seeking its first win over an AP-ranked top 25 opponent, having lost all 41 of its previous meetings.  Monday's game also marks the third consecutive season EKU has faced a top 25 opponent; having faced No. 23 Tennessee in 2022 and No. 4 Utah in 2023.
 
Follow Us
For more information on the EKU women's basketball program, visit EKUSports.com or follow @EKUWBB on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.