CHARLESTON, Ill. – Bria Bass had a double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds, but the Eastern Kentucky University women’s basketball team fell on the road at Eastern Illinois University, 80-60, Thursday night.
The Panthers (9-11, 3-6 OVC) used a 17-6 run early in the third quarter, capped by a lay in from Karle Pace with 4:49 left in the stanza, to take a 58-37 lead and not look back. Pace had a game-high 29 points, three assists and two steals. Taylor Steele pitched in 15 points, six rebounds and three assists for EIU.
EKU (2-18, 0-9 OVC) jumped out to an early lead after back-to-back three pointers by Bass in the first quarter, but went into the second quarter trailing 23-16.
Shay Solomon knocked down a three as the shot clock ran out to cut into the Panther lead to 27-22 with 8:15 remaining in the first half, but Eastern Kentucky never got any closer.
Mashayla Cecil had a career-high 11 points, three steals and two assists. Solomon pitched in 10 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Paige Murphy went for nine points and four assists.
Eastern Kentucky shot 41 percent from the field. Eastern Illinois shot 45 percent from the field. EKU had 19 turnovers while EIU had seven.
The Colonels return to the court Saturday in Edwardsville, Illinois when they take on SIU Edwardsville. Tip-off is scheduled for 3 p.m.
