Wendy Haun
In their first game in more than a week and a half, the Lady Colonels will have a tall order to match up to.
Tonight’s matchup with Tennessee State (4 p.m. at McBrayer Arena) will feature Eastern Kentucky University’s Alex Jones going up against another top player in the Ohio Valley Conference in Oby Okafor.
Jones has been named the conference’s Freshman of the Week three times this season, including being awarded this week’s accolade. Okafor has been named Player of the Week once, and averages 13.6 points and six boards per game.
“She was up for preseason player of the year,” EKU coach Chrissy Roberts said of Okafor. “They’re a very balanced team from top to bottom. They’re very deep, they play 9-10 players and each one has something to bring to the court. They’re a well-balanced team and we’re going to have our work cut out for us.”
The Lady Colonels (5-6, 2-0 OVC) will be looking to bounce back from a 52-47 loss to Central Arkansas on Dec. 22. Despite the setback, Roberts said her team is not looking at the game as a low note to end 2009.
“We did a lot of great things against Central Arkansas,” she said. “It would have been nice to come out with a win but since then, we’ve had a lot of focused on our offensive execution. We tend to take longer to get into our sets and we just need to slow down and let the offense work.”
TSU (4-7, 1-1 OVC) averages 60 points and 40 rebounds per game. Jasmine Smith has been solid early for the Lady Tigers, putting up 8.5 points and nabbing 6.8 boards per game.
Because of the long break, EKU’s players did have a chance to go home and recharge, something that Roberts said is integral to the team’s identity.
“I think the break was good for everybody,” she said. “We’re big on family and our kids had an opportunity to go home and get away and clear their minds. They came back with a great attitude and we’ve taken some steps forward in these days back from the break.”
NOTES: Senior forward Sonjia Hoston left the team during the break due to eligibility issues. While the opportunity might arise for her to play at another university, she will no longer be able to play as a Lady Colonel.
