RICHMOND, Ky. –
Michelle Ugwah scored 21 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, while
Liz Freihofer added 17 points and 11 boards to lead the Eastern Kentucky University women's basketball team to a 94-48 victory over Midway on Tuesday night at Baptist Health Arena.
The Colonels improved to 3-1 with their third consecutive victory, shooting 51.3 percent from the field and outrebounding the Eagles 66-30.
Ugwah finished 10-for-11 from the floor in 20 minutes off the bench, adding three assists, two steals and a block. Freihofer knocked down three 3-pointers and collected all 11 of her rebounds on the defensive end to go along with three assists. She moved to sixth in school history with 153 career 3-pointers, passing EKU legend Chrissy Roberts.
Kenleigh Woods contributed 13 points, shooting 3-for-4 from beyond the arc, and led EKU with five assists.
Brooke Nichelson finished with 11 points and six rebounds, while
Kirsten Lewis-Williams added 10 points and four boards.
EKU controlled the paint throughout the night, outscoring Midway 58-14 inside and finishing with a 34-4 advantage in fast-break points. The Colonels handed out 20 assists on 39 made baskets and held the Eagles to 22.5 percent shooting.
Freihofer scored 10 of EKU's first 12 points, connecting on a pair of early 3-pointers. Her second gave the Colonels a 10-8 lead with 7:44 left in the opening quarter, putting EKU ahead for good.
With the Colonels leading 14-10, Woods knocked down a 3-pointer and followed with a layup to begin a 10-0 run. Lewis-Williams added a basket before Ugwah scored the final three points of the stretch, helping EKU build a 26-14 advantage entering the second quarter.
Nichelson scored eight points in the first four minutes of the second period as the Colonels extended their lead to 36-17. Ugwah followed with 10 points over the final five minutes of the half, and two free throws from Lewis-Williams sent EKU into the locker room ahead 52-27.
The Colonels continued to pull away after halftime. Freihofer connected from deep, and
Kailani Lindsey added a pair of baskets before EKU put together another 10-0 run late in the third quarter.
Kiera Healy capped the stretch with a 3-pointer, her first collegiate basket, helping the Colonels take a 73-38 lead into the fourth.
Woods hit two more 3-pointers in the final period, and Ugwah added six points as EKU pushed its lead to 40 with 5:33 remaining. The Colonels held Midway to one point over the final six minutes and finished with their largest lead of the night.
Healy totaled nine points, while
Rylee Kalocay added seven points, six rebounds and three assists. Lindsey and
Nicole Fritea each collected eight rebounds.
Alexis Taylor led Midway with 12 points, while Heleina John added 10 points and six rebounds.
Eastern Kentucky continues its five-game home stand hosting Southern Illinois on Thursday at 6 p.m.
