Grand Forks, N.D. – After having previously faced off nearly 55 hours earlier, North Dakota and Eastern Kentucky women's basketball team squared off once again, this time inside the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center. And—unfortunately for the Fighting Hawks—the result was eerily similar as UND fell 87-66 on Tuesday night.
 
Mackenzie Hughes rattled in a season-high 18 points for the Hawks, including a 6-of-7 showing at the free throw line, as Walker Demers collected a 13-rebound, 12-point double-double. Ava Miller and Mikayla Aumer each added in eight points while Hughes dished out a team-high three assists.
 
EKU out-shot UND from the floor but the home team yet again outrebounded its opponent by a 41-32 margin.
 
It was a ice-cold first quarter that proved to be lethal for North Dakota, as Eastern Kentucky opened up action with 15 unanswered points. UND's first basket wouldn't come until the 3:19 mark off the hands of Hughes—who went on to nail another from deep under a minute later—and the home team would go on to face a 26-8 gap at the end of the first.
 
A quick 9-2 run for the home team to start the second gave a glimpse into the fight that the Hawks would prove to show throughout the rest of the night. This quarter was more balanced in terms of scoring, as UND dropped 20 total points compared to EKU's 30. As soon as it got down to an 11-point game, the Colonels stormed back with fiery deep-rang shooting to push it to a 29-point differential. Kendra Harvey scored the final four points of the quarter for UND, but it still remained a 56-28 deficit at the break.
 
North Dakota again came out strong, scoring nine points to open up the third quarter. Demers, Aumers and Hughes combined for the streak until the Colonels stopped it with 11 straight points of their own. Skyler Volmer drilled a pair of free throws and Ava Miller struck from behind the arc to get the offense rolling again.
 
After UND and EKU traded layups, a flagrant foul against the Colonels and double technical fouls against both squads soon sent Hughes to the line for two shots. London Harris nailed a jumper to end the period and make it a 73-47 game heading into the final quarter.
 
 Harris hit the next bucket of the game and was soon followed by two free throws from Demers. A later eight-point run soon made it a 15-point game, but the early damage had already been done. Despite the consistent fight and clawing effort from the Fighting Hawks, they fell 87-66.
 
Postgame Notes 

• Demers collected the fifth double-double of her career and first of the season
• The team-high 18 points from Hughes were also a team high
• Hannah Miller made her first appearance as a Fighting Hawk in Tuesday night's game
• Harvey's eight points were the first of her collegiate career
• UND has outrebounded its opponent in the last four games

  
How It Happened 
Q1: North Dakota 8, Eastern Kentucky 26
Q2: North Dakota 28, Eastern Kentucky 56
Q3: North Dakota 47, Eastern Kentucky 73
Q4: North Dakota 66, Eastern Kentucky 87
 
Up Next
North Dakota will play host to Wyoming in a rare Friday afternoon contest at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center, with action set to tip at 12 p.m.

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