RICHMOND, Ky. – Despite an 18-point performance from graduate guard Ivy Turner, EKU women's basketball drops a tough game against Austin Peay by a score of 63-55 on Thursday night inside Baptist Health Arena.
 
With the loss, EKU drops to 21-9 on the season and 9-6 in Atlantic Sun Conference play with one more regular season game left on the schedule.  
 
If EKU defeats Lipscomb on Saturday, the Colonels will secure a host bid in the 2024 ASUN Championship and play on March 9.  EKU can fall anywhere between the No. 4 through No. 6 seed in the field with Saturday's result.
 
EKU was led in Thursday's game by Turner, who dropped a game-high 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting a 4-for-7 from long range.
 
Following Turner, fellow guards Alice Recanati and Antwainette Walker each scored 11 points while Brie Crittendon scored six points off a made three and a perfect 3-for-3 showing from the free throw line.
 
In the 90th meeting between the two programs, EKU and Austin Peay lived up to the tale of the series and played a low-scoring effort in the first quarter.  After 10 minutes of play, APSU led 13-11 as Recanati hit a three with 44 seconds remaining in the period.
 
A pair of Shamarre Hale free throws concluded the first half at 20 all, marking the Colonels' second-lowest scoring total of a half this season.  EKU's Turner scored all nine of the home team's points in the second quarter.
 
Despite the low-scoring first 20 minutes of play, EKU made shots on its first three possessions of the second half off threes by Turner and Kaitlyn Costner, while getting a fast-break layup from Recanati placing the Colonels up one, 25-24
 
Near the under-five media timeout, EKU was able to jump to a 7-point, 33-26 lead off a made jumper from Walker.  After two ties with less than two minutes left, Austin Peay reclaimed its lead with a driving layup and a pair of made free throws to end the quarter up 42-38.
 
Austin Peay obtained its largest lead of the game (12) with 1:01 on the clock to secure a regular season sweep of the Colonels, 63-55.  EKU went scoreless from 6:17 to 3:09 on the clock despite scoring 17 points in the fourth quarter.
 
With Thursday's result, APSU has won 10 straight games over the Colonels dating back to 2018 and moves to 4-0 over EKU inside ASUN Conference play.
 
Austin Peay outrebounded EKU 39-25 while shooting 44.7 percent from the floor and going 18-of-23 from the free-throw line.  The Govs took 11 more free throws than the Colonels in Thursday's game.
 
EKU returns to action on Saturday hosting Lipscomb for Senior Day at 1 p.m. EST.  The Colonels are set to honor nine student-athletes on Saturday, fans are encouraged to arrive early to partake in pre-game festivities.