CLINTON, S.C. (Interstat) — The Eastern Kentucky Lady Colonels methodically built and maintained a substantial lead throughout a nonconference women’s basketball game Friday night, defeating the Presbyterian Blue Hose 81-61 at Templeton Center.

Eastern Kentucky, now 8-4, never trailed after opening the contest with a 3-pointer from Joseana Vaz just 14 seconds in. The Lady Colonels established control early, leading 18-13 after the first quarter and extending that advantage to 37-23 by halftime. They continued to pull away in the third, entering the final period with a 57-39 cushion before closing out the 20-point victory.

The most important part of the game was Eastern Kentucky’s consistent offensive execution and interior dominance, which prevented Presbyterian from ever mounting a serious threat. Each time the Blue Hose showed a flicker of momentum, the Lady Colonels answered with a scoring run, often generated in the paint. Eastern Kentucky outscored Presbyterian in every quarter and finished with a commanding 44-26 advantage in points in the paint, underscoring their control of the game’s tempo and geography.

Kenleigh Woods led a balanced Eastern Kentucky attack with 16 points and three assists. Althea Kara Angeles added 13 points and four assists, while Joseana Vaz and Ndidiamaka Ndukwe each contributed 13 points. Ndukwe also pulled down 15 rebounds. Kailani Lindsey provided a spark off the bench with 10 points.

For Presbyterian, which fell to 2-10, Morgan Boyd scored 15 points and blocked a shot. Aretha Linger anchored the defense with four blocks to go with eight points. Allie Sykes came off the bench to score 10 points for the Blue Hose.

Eastern Kentucky’s defense was active, generating 13 points off turnovers, though Presbyterian managed 19 points from Eastern Kentucky miscues. The Lady Colonels’ steady scoring output, however, rendered those extra possessions insufficient for the home team.

The game was played in front of an announced crowd of 194. Eastern Kentucky entered as a heavy favorite according to predictive metrics, which projected a 94.30 percent probability of a Lady Colonels victory.

Eastern Kentucky will look to build on the win when it hosts Hampton on Dec. 29. Presbyterian, still seeking its third win, will host Jacksonville State on Sunday.

The victory provided a positive rebound for Eastern Kentucky following a 76-51 loss at Louisville on Dec. 17. For Presbyterian, the loss continued a difficult stretch against nonconference opponents.