SE Bluegrass News

Late Run Propels EKU Over Jacksonville

EKU women's basketball uses a strong first half and late run in the fourth quarter to win its 10th straight game inside Alumni Coliseum, defeating Jacksonville by a score of 79-70 on Monday afternoon.

 

With the win, the Colonels move to 12-8 on the season and 5-2 in ASUN Conference play. EKU's 10 game win streak at home is its longest since the 2004-05 season. 

 

Forward Antwainette Walker recorded her 19th consecutive game in double-figure scoring with 19 points on 6-of-10 (.600) shooting. Walker added eight rebounds, three assists, and two steals in the win.

 

Three other Colonels scored in double-digits, Danielle Rainey and Marissa Mackins tallied 16 points, each hitting four 3-pointers. Ariel Kirkwood scored 10 points, adding six rebounds and an assist.

 

Alice Recanati dished a team-leading nine assists against Jacksonville, one shy of consecutive double-digit assist performances.

 

Jacksonville scored seven unanswered points in the first minute of the contest. A Rainey three-pointer got EKU in the scoring column for the first time. The Dolphins would proceed to knock down two more baskets to extend their lead to 11-3. EKU hit six of the last eight made baskets to end the first frame in a draw at 20.

 

The Colonels would begin the second quarter on a 10-5 run off made threes from Kalissa Lacy and Rainey. Jacksonville would keep the contest within four points, trading basket for basket with EKU. Another Lacy 3-pointer would send the maroon and white into the break with a 35-32 lead.

 

Walker started the second half on a 5-0 swing to keep the Colonels at a three-point difference away from the Dolphins. Back-to-back-to-back possessions for Jacksonville resulted in made 3-pointers for the 56-50 lead over EKU heading to the final frame. JU shot 6-of-8 (.750) from beyond the arch in the third quarter, its best shooting period of the contest.

 

Two threes from Mackins kicked off the fourth quarter for the Colonels, stopping a shooting slump in the first three frames by the Durham, N.C. product. The Dolphins remained in the contest despite the hot shooting of EKU. Consecutive possessions with made buckets from Walker pushed the Colonels lead to four with a few ticks over two minutes left in the game. EKU ended the contest knocking down 8-of-8 free throws to extend its lead to nine over Jacksonville as the final buzzer sounded.

 

EKU shot 19-of-20 (.950) from the charity stripe against JU, its best percentage of the season.

 

Both teams ended the contest shooting over 45 percent from the floor, EKU took the edge over Jacksonville shooting 47.2 percent. Both teams also made 10 3-pointers in the game.

 

The Colonels welcomed Model Laboratory to Baptist Health Arena today for Crowd the Coliseum with 1,431 people in the stands, EKU's largest home attendance of the season.

Original source can be found here