Eastern Kentucky University’s women’s basketball team overcame a 3-point deficit in the final 15 seconds to beat Morehead State University, 50-49, on Friday at Johnson Arena in Morehead, Kentucky.
The Eagles (0-2, 0-1 OVC) took a 49-46 lead on a lay-up by Ellie Jo Johnson with 1:21 left in the game. MSU led by the same score until Corriana Evans pulled Eastern (1-2, 1-0 OVC) within one when she hit a 15-foot jumper with 14 seconds to go.
Morehead State went to the free throw line with 12.1 ticks on the clock, but Lai’ Janique Perry-Ellis missed both attempts. After a time out, Alice Recanati took the inbound pass under the basket and was fouled on a lay-up attempt. The freshman hit both free throws to put the visitors on top by one, 50-49, with 9.3 seconds remaining.
MSU had one more chance, but Ariel Kirkwood lost control of the ball near the baseline and turned it over. The Colonels beat the press and ran out the clock for the win.
Freshman Kendall Wingler led EKU with 12 points. Evans had 10 points. Recanati finished with nine points, three rebounds, three assists and three steals.
The Colonels and Eagles will face each other again on Monday in Richmond. Tip-off at McBrayer Arena is scheduled for 6 p.m. Fans will receive signed posters and Level Up t-shirts while supplies last.
Eastern Kentucky held Morehead State to 30 percent shooting, including just 2-of-24 from 3-point range. The Eagles turned the ball over 24 times.
After falling behind 4-0 to start the game, Amerah Steele hit a jumper, Wingler knocked down a turnaround jumper and Recanati laid it in to put the visitors up two. The Eagles then rolled of eight unanswered to double up the Colonels, 12-6. Eastern trailed by three, 16-13, at the end of the first quarter. Each team had six turnovers in the first quarter. Morehead State was 0-for-7 from 3-point range.
Wingler tied the game, 16-16, with a 3-pointer from the right wing to start the second quarter, but MSU scored nine of the next 10 to build an 8-point advantage, 25-17. Eastern however scored the final six points of the second quarter and went to the locker room down two, 25-23, at the break. Each team had 11 turnovers at halftime. Morehead State was 0-for-14 from behind the arc at intermission.
Just like she did at the start of the second quarter, Wingler nailed a 3-pointer to start the third to give Eastern Kentucky a 26-25 lead. After the Eagles edged back on top by one, Evans hit a lay-up to swing the lead back to the visitors, 28-27. Two free throws from Steele capped a short 7-2 run to make it 35-31. A lay-up from Steele pushed the advantage to five, 39-34. EKU had a 4-point lead, 40-36, after three quarters.
A fourth quarter scoring drought that last more than five minutes saw the Colonel lead evaporate. After two free throws from Wingler with 2:44 to play made it 46-45 in favor of Eastern, Morehead State scored four straight to go up by three with 1:21 on the clock.