RICHMOND, Ky. – To end the 2023-24 regular season, EKU women's basketball falls to Lipscomb on Senior Day by a score of 71-68 on Saturday afternoon at Baptist Health Arena.
EKU honored a 9-member senior class on Saturday consisting of
Alice Recanati,
Althea Kara Angeles,
Antwainette Walker,
Bridgid Fox,
Ivy Turner,
NeKiyah Thompson,
Raphaela Toussaint,
Sierra McCullough, and student-manager
Ethan Ward.
The Colonels were led by Walker who scored 21 points going 3-of-4 from beyond the arch with nine rebounds. EKU's
Kaitlyn Costner dropped 14 points while Recanati totaled 11 points for her third straight game.
With Saturday's result, EKU (21-10, 9-7 ASUN) drops to the No. 5 seed in the 2024 Atlantic Sun Conference Championship and will head to Nashville on March 9 to face Lipscomb in the quarterfinals.
After the first quarter media timeout, EKU's Recanati and Walker hit three-pointers on back-to-back possessions to give the Colonels a 14-12 lead. The Bisons went 1-for-2 from the line to end period one down 14-13.
To open the second quarter, EKU's McCullough scored on consecutive possessions, plus one free throw, starting a 6-0 Colonel run. Lipscomb was unable to score until 6:44 left in the period, as Diana Saleh converted her own 4-point swing narrowing their gap 19-17. Despite four more points from Walker in the first half, Lipscomb ended the first 20 minutes up 33-24.
EKU cut its deficit to three points twice in the third period, but was unable to convert buckets after its stops, taking the Colonels into the fourth down 47-42.
The Colonels cut their deficit to just two points twice in the fourth quarter but was unable to capitalize on Lipscomb errors to end Saturday's game on the wrong end of a 71-68 final.
Lipscomb ended Saturday's game with 32 free throw attempts to EKU's 18, while outshooting the Colonels going 44.2 percent from the floor.
EKU led in assists (11-10), threes (5-4) and three-point percent (33.3-25.0).
The Colonels return to action on March 9 in the Music City against Lipscomb in the 2024 ASUN Championship. Fans are encouraged to look out for details such as a game time, tickets, etc. in the following days.
