RICHMOND, Ky. (Interstat) — The Eastern Kentucky Lady Colonels used a dominant first-quarter offensive explosion to overwhelm the Evansville Purple Aces and cruise to an 83-60 victory in a non-conference women’s basketball game Wednesday night at McBrayer Arena.

Eastern Kentucky established control from the opening tip, erupting for 34 points in the first quarter while building a 19-point lead. The Lady Colonels’ offense was both efficient and explosive, shooting 9 for 21 from 3-point range and converting 20 Evansville turnovers into 26 points. The home team never looked back, leading by as many as 30 points in the second half before settling for the 23-point margin of victory.

Liz Freihofer led a balanced Eastern Kentucky attack with 13 points, five rebounds, four assists and two blocks. She was one of four Lady Colonels to score in double figures. Kenleigh Woods added 12 points and four assists, while Althea Kara Angeles and Joseana Vaz each chipped in 11 points. Vaz also contributed three assists and two blocks.

The Lady Colonels improved to 2-1 on the young season, while Evansville remained winless at 0-3.

Evansville was led by Avery Kelley, who came off the bench to score a game-high 15 points. The Purple Aces struggled with their offensive execution throughout the night, committing 20 turnovers and shooting just 36 percent from the field. They were also outscored 42-26 in the paint.

Eastern Kentucky’s offensive rating of 112.8 on 74 possessions starkly contrasted with Evansville’s rating of 77.7 on 77 possessions, underscoring the efficiency gap between the two teams. The Lady Colonels also shared the ball effectively, finishing with 10 assists and 10 steals as a team.

The game was played in front of an announced crowd of 347. Evansville will look for its first win on the road Sunday at Wright State. Eastern Kentucky is scheduled to host North Dakota on Sunday.