Eastern Kentucky University’s women’s basketball team lost 79-50 at No. 16 Northwestern University on Tuesday in Chicago.
Freshman forward Dafne Gianesini came off the bench to lead the Colonels (3-3) with 14 points. She hit 5-of-7 attempts from the field, including 3-of-4 from behind the 3-point arc. Alice Recanati finished with two points, three rebounds and six assists.
The Wildcats (4-0) scored the first five points of the game and went in front 10-3 before EKU closed the gap. Emma Hacker’s 3-pointer got the visitors within four, 12-8. A jumper from Recanati made it a 2-point game, 12-10.
The Colonels were down just four, 18-14, before Northwestern went on a 15-0 run to pull away. After a lay-up from Anysa Jordan with 2:31 remaining in the first quarter, Eastern didn’t score again until the 7:44 mark of the second quarter. The 4:47 scoring drought allowed the Wildcats to take a 19-point advantage, 33-14, on a lay-up by Veronica Burton that capped the run.
Eastern Kentucky scored just six points in the second quarter. Two free throws from Corriana Evans with 5:24 left before intermission drew the Colonels to within 15, 35-20, but EKU didn’t score again in the quarter and trailed 47-20 at halftime.
EKU shot 39 percent for the game while Northwestern made 40 percent of its shots. The Colonels limited the Wildcats to 15 percent (3-for-20) shooting from long range. Eastern turned the ball over 33 times and Northwestern scored 40 points off those turnovers.
Burton had a game-best 17 points for the Wildcats.
The Colonels put their 2-0 Ohio Valley Conference record on the line at home against Eastern Illinois on Dec. 30. Tip-off is scheduled for 5 p.m.