Memphis, Tenn. - Margaret Richards produced one of the best games of her career with 23 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Nebraska women's basketball team to a 78-75 victory over Eastern Kentucky in the consolation game of the Lady Tiger Kroger Thanksgiving Classic at The Elma Roane Fieldhouse on Saturday evening.
Richards' 23 points were just two off her career high while her 10 boards were just one shy of her career mark in that category. The 5-9 guard from Louisville, Ky., connected on 14-of-18 free throws and helped force 32 Eastern Kentucky fouls to help the Huskers improve to 3-1 on the year.
Alexa Johnson added 17 points, including 15 points in the first half, while Keasha Cannon-Johnson contributed 13 points and nine rebounds. Freshman Heather Kephart pitched in 11 points to give the Huskers four players in double figures.
Katie Kelly led three Eastern Kentucky players in double figures with 22 points, but missed a last-second three-pointer from the deep left wing as time expired to give the Huskers the victory.
In a see-saw game, the lead changed hands 13 times in the first half, with <?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Nebraska taking its biggest lead at 29-22 after a Johnson jumper with just over five minutes left in the half. But Eastern Kentucky answered with an 8-0 run sparked by back-to-back three-pointers from Kelly.
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Richards hit a pair of free throws to stop EKU’s run, but the the Colonels continued to surge as Fatai Hala’api’api scored eight straight points off the bench to give Eastern Kentucky a 38-33 lead with under three minutes to play in the half.
Johnson’s three-pointer from the right wing started a 9-0 NU run that ended with a pair of free throws by Johnson to give the Huskers the lead back heading into the locker room.
Nebraska continued to surge out of the locker room, reeling off an 8-0 run to take the biggest lead of the game at 50-40 with 17:41 left in the game. But Eastern Kentucky answered with eight straight points to cut Nebraska's lead to 50-48. The Huskers held off the run and regained a six-point lead after four straight points from Kephart, but EKU responded to regain the lead on Omni McCluney's three-pointer at 59-58.
Although Nebraska connected on 26-of-41 free throws on the night, NU missed 10 of their final 12 free throw attempts down the stretch to keep the Colonels within striking distance.
Nebraska hit 47.1 percent (24-51) of its field goal attempts on the night, including 4-of-11 three-pointers. Eastern Kentucky shot 41.2 percent from the field (28-68) and hit 3-of-9 three-pointers, while hitting 16-of-22 free throws. Nebraska enjoyed a 44-34 rebound advantage, but committed 20 turnovers while forcing just 14 EKU miscues.
The Huskers were helped inside by nine blocked shots, including a school-record tying six blocks by senior center Katie Morse, who added six points and nine rebounds in the victory.
Nebraska returns to action on Thursday, Dec. 4, when the Huskers travel to Pullman, Wash., to tangle with the Washington Cougars at 9 p.m. central time.