RICHMOND, Ky. (Interstat) — Ndidiamaka Ndukwe scored 25 points to lead Eastern Kentucky to a 69-60 win over Lipscomb in a women’s NCAA Division I basketball game Thursday night at McBrayer Arena. The Lady Colonels (14-4, 3-0 ASUN) overcame a strong first quarter from the Bisons (5-11, 1-2), who led 20-14 after the opening period. Eastern Kentucky took control with a 35-22 advantage across the second and third quarters. Althea Kara Angeles added 11 points and seven assists for the Lady Colonels. Molly Heard and Taylor Bowen each scored 17 points for Lipscomb in the loss. Attendance was 337.

RICHMOND, Ky. (Interstat) — Ndidiamaka Ndukwe scored 25 points and the Eastern Kentucky Lady Colonels used a decisive third-quarter surge to overcome a slow start and defeat the Lipscomb Bisons 69-60 in an ASUN Conference women’s basketball game Thursday night at McBrayer Arena. Lipscomb, which led by as many as nine points in the first half, saw its offense stagnate after halftime, scoring only eight points in the third quarter. That dry spell allowed Eastern Kentucky to erase a halftime deficit and build a lead it would not relinquish in front of a crowd of 337. The Bisons opened the game with clear intent, leveraging their size early. Hope Counts won the opening tip and scored on a putback layup just 22 seconds in, setting an aggressive tone. Taylor Bowen and Molly Heard combined for quick scores, and when Bowen connected on a 3-pointer with 5:06 left in the first quarter, Lipscomb held a 15-6 advantage. The visitors maintained control throughout the opening period, leading 20-14 after one. Eastern Kentucky struggled to find its rhythm offensively in the early going, committing several turnovers against Lipscomb’s active defense. The Lady Colonels began to chip away in the second quarter, with Althea Kara Angeles orchestrating the offense and Kailani Lindsey providing energy off the bench. A layup by Angeles with 6:34 left in the half cut the deficit to 22-20, but Lipscomb responded. The Bisons took their largest lead at 29-20 following a Hannah Richardson jumper and a free throw from Bowen. The final minutes of the half proved pivotal. Lipscomb committed three turnovers in the last 90 seconds, which Eastern Kentucky converted into five points. Kenleigh Woods capped the half with a steal and a driving layup at the buzzer, trimming the Bisons’ lead to 34-31 and shifting momentum firmly toward the home team. That momentum carried into the third quarter, where the game was decisively turned. Eastern Kentucky’s defense locked down, holding Lipscomb to 3-of-15 shooting from the field and forcing six turnovers in the period. Offensively, the Lady Colonels methodically took over. A 3-pointer from Liz Freihofer at the 4:30 mark gave Eastern Kentucky its first lead since the opening minutes at 40-37. The run continued, fueled by Ndukwe’s scoring inside and out. By the time Freihofer hit another three just before the third-quarter buzzer, Eastern Kentucky had outscored Lipscomb 18-8 in the period and led 49-42. Lipscomb fought to stay within reach in the fourth. A 3-pointer from McKayla Miller and a determined tip-in from Heard brought the Bisons to within 56-54 with 7:56 remaining. Each time Lipscomb threatened, however, Ndukwe had an answer. She hit a clutch jumper, and after a Lipscomb turnover, found Freihofer for a corner three that pushed the lead back to 61-54 with 5:59 to play. The Bisons’ final push came up short. Trailing 66-60 with under a minute left, they were forced to foul. Ndukwe sealed the victory by making three of four free throws in the final minute, finishing a dominant second-half performance. Ndukwe, a 5-foot-10 guard from Inkster, Michigan, added three rebounds and an assist in 31 minutes for Eastern Kentucky. Angeles, a sophomore from Melbourne, Australia, filled the stat sheet with 11 points, seven assists and a block. Freihofer contributed 12 points and three assists, while Woods had eight points, three assists and a game-high five steals. Lipscomb was led by 17 points apiece from Heard, a 6-foot forward from Pisgah, Alabama, and Bowen, a guard from Carmel, Indiana. Counts, a 6-2 center from Crystal, Minnesota, added 13 points, two assists and two blocks before fouling out. Miller had eight points and three blocks. With the win, Eastern Kentucky improved to 14-4 overall and strengthened its position in the ASUN. Lipscomb fell to 5-11. Both teams return to conference play Saturday, with Eastern Kentucky traveling to face Bellarmine and Lipscomb visiting Austin Peay.

RICHMOND, Ky. (Interstat) — A surging Eastern Kentucky squad will look to continue its dominant start to ASUN Conference play when it hosts struggling Lipscomb in a women’s basketball matchup Thursday night at McBrayer Arena. The Lady Colonels (13-4, 3-0 ASUN) enter on a five-game winning streak, including three consecutive conference victories by an average margin of 27.3 points. Their lone stumble in the past seven games was a road loss to then-Louisville on Dec. 17. Eastern Kentucky is led by forward Ndidiamaka Ndukwe, who is averaging 17.0 points and 4.0 rebounds over her last three contests. She scored a season-high 22 points in a 64-54 win at Central Arkansas last Saturday. Lipscomb (5-10, 1-2) seeks to rebound from a 63-42 home loss to Florida Gulf Coast, where the Bisons shot just 27.9% from the field. Their fortunes often hinge on the play of forward McKayla Miller, who leads the team in scoring and has been a defensive force. Miller is averaging 14.2 points and 3.8 blocks over her last five games, including a 24-point, 4-block performance at Samford on Dec. 18. The Bisons have shown flashes, with conference wins over Stetson and North Florida, but consistency has been an issue. They have lost four of their last six overall. Eastern Kentucky’s defense, which has held ASUN opponents to just 50.7 points per game, will test a Lipscomb offense averaging only 58.1 points on the season. The Lady Colonels also boast a potent offense, having scored 103 points in their conference opener against Queens (N.C.). This is the first of two regular-season meetings between the teams. They will meet again in Nashville on Feb. 4. Thursday’s tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST. Eastern Kentucky will visit Bellarmine on Saturday, while Lipscomb travels to face Austin Peay.