Richmond, Ky. – In the first half of a back-to-back home-and-home series, North Dakota fell on the road to Eastern Kentucky, 57-46, in a Sunday matinee inside Baptist Health Arena. The game pushes UND to a 0-4 start for the first time since 2020-21 while EKU improves to 3-1.
 
Once again, it was Ava Miller who led the offensive effort for the Fighting Hawks as she dropped 10 points alongside nine rebounds. Walker Demers led with 13 rebounds paired with seven points and three blocks, Mackenzie Hughes added in nine points with five defensive boards and Mikayla Aumer also contributed eight points.
 
Neither team shot above 30 percent from the field, with the Hawks coming in at just 26.9 percent (14-of-52) compared to the Colonels' 29.9 percent (22-of-77). UND also shot 18.5 percent from beyond the arc (5-of-27), held the rebound advantage, 49-44, but gave up a costly 27 turnovers on the afternoon.
 
Eastern Kentucky struck first until UND took the 4-3 lead just over three minutes into game time. But the Fighting Hawks would not hold a lead again for the rest of the game. The Colonel rattled off 10 straight points in under two minutes to regain control and continued to have a response for every Hawk bucket. The lead was cut to five twice courtesy of Hughes and Aumer, but the home team held on at 20-12 to end the first quarter.
 
The second quarter was much more of a struggle offensively for both teams, with neither squad scoring more than 10 points in the period. North Dakota hit back-to-back buckets early quarter to make it a six-point game before Ava Miller knocked down a triple. It wasn't long before two free throws from Finley Ohnstad kept it at a single-digit differential for a 28-21 score at the half.
 
Out of the break, the Colonels dropped in a three-pointer to push things to double digits, yet the Hawks continued to fight. A layup and two free throws from Hughes made it an eight-point game until Kentucky went on an 11-3 run. UND ended the quarter with three straight—and all successful—trips to the foul line, going six-for-six to force a 44-34 game heading into the final quarter.
 
Though the scoring totals in the fourth were close, EKU started it with an 11-2 run to go up 55-36. The Hawks then lit up for a 10-2 run of their own, but the damage had already been done and ended in a 57-46 loss.
 
 
Postgame Notes 

• Sunday marked the first-ever meeting between UND and EKU
• NoDak begins the all-time series against the Colonels 0-1
• Ava Miller has led the scoring for the Hawks twice in four games
• It is Miller's third double-figure performance in four games
• Demers' three blocks tied a career high
• NoDak has outrebounded its opponent for the third straight game
• UND starts the season 0-4 for the first time since the 2020-21 season
• Eastern Kentucky and North Dakota will face off twice in 55 hours

  
How It Happened 
Q1: North Dakota 12, Eastern Kentucky 20
Q2: North Dakota 21, Eastern Kentucky 28
Q3: North Dakota 34, Eastern Kentucky 44
Q4: North Dakota 46, Eastern Kentucky 57
 
Up Next
North Dakota heads home to the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center for the second half of a home-and-home series against Eastern Kentucky, hosting the Colonels on Tuesday night in Grand Forks. Game time is set for 7 p.m.

For more information on North Dakota women's basketball, visit FightingHawks.com or follow on social media @UNDwbasketball.