KALAMAZOO, Mich. – Junior Shay Solomon scored a career-best 20 points, but the Eastern Kentucky University women’s basketball team lost, 64-53, at Western Michigan University on Wednesday.
Solomon scored 12 of EKU’s 19 second quarter points to help her team turn a three-point deficit into a one-point halftime lead, 32-31.
Early lay-ups in the third quarter by Bria Bass and Solomon gave the visitors a three-point advantage, 36-33. However, the Broncos (2-3) went on a 14-3 run to take control of the game. With WMU up 47-39, Catie Kaifes hit a lay-up and Solomon came up with a steal and a basket in the final seconds of the quarter to keep Eastern within striking distance, 47-43.
Western Michigan stretched its lead to 11 in the fourth quarter before Eastern made one more run. Abby Wright hit a lay-up and drew a foul. She missed on the free throw but Kaifes grabbed the offensive rebound. The junior newcomer hit Wright with a pass on the right wing and the senior knocked down a three-pointer to make it a six-point game, 59-53. That was as close as the Colonels would get.
Solomon finished 9-for-17 from the field and had eight rebounds, six assists and two steals. Wright contributed 16 points and six boards.
Meredith Miller and Leghah-Amori Wool led Western Michigan with 12 points each.
EKU (0-6) hit on 39 percent of its shots from the field while the Broncos made 40 percent. The Colonels out-rebounded the home team 40-29, but committed 18 turnovers. WMU turned those turnovers into 23 points.
Eastern concludes a stretch of six straight games away from home on Saturday at Akron. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m.
