LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Bellarmine University women's basketball team will meet ASUN rival Eastern Kentucky for a second straight game when the Knights welcome the Colonels for a 1 p.m. (ET) matchup Saturday in Freedom Hall.

Bellarmine (4-13, 0-4 ASUN) and Eastern Kentucky (10-7, 3-1) began the unusual scheduling quirk with a Wednesday contest in Baptist Health Arena in which the host Colonels secured an 85-79 win in a back-and-forth matchup that saw 13 ties and seven lead changes.

Eastern Kentucky, which leads 8-2 in the all-time series against Bellarmine, has won six of its last seven games. In the first contest against the Knights, Antwainette Walker led the Colonels with 26 points and 10 rebounds while Marissa Mackins contributed 20 points, including 10 in the fourth quarter.

A transfer from Marquette, Walker is among the early candidates for ASUN Player of the Year. She is leading the conference in scoring (21.7) and steals (2.8) and ranks second in rebounding (9.9). Mackins was a first-team ASUN All-Conference selection last season at North Florida before transferring to EKU, where she's averaging 16.2 points behind nearly four 3-pointers made per game. Danielle Rainey (12.1 ppg) is a third double-figure scorer.

Eastern Kentucky is the most prolific scoring team in the ASUN at 79.3 points per game. While Walker commands the interior, the Colonels are also dangerous from the perimeter, ranking third in the conference in 3-pointers made (142 in 17 games). EKU's defense is third in the league in forcing turnovers (20.2 per game), and the Colonels had 27 takeaways against Bellarmine, converting them into 28 points.

In Wednesday's contest against EKU, Gracie Merkle set new Division I-era program records in scoring (32 points) and field goals made (13). The freshman center's 18 rebounds were a D1-era record against a D1 opponent (she had 23 vs. non-D1 Simmons). The four-time ASUN Freshman of the Week owns the ASUN's highest single-game totals this season in scoring (32 at EKU), rebounding (23 vs. Simmons) and blocked shots (nine vs. Simmons).

While amassing her ASUN-best 10th double-double of the season, Merkle went 13-for-14 from the field against EKU. She is the national leader in field-goal percentage (72.1). In addition to leading the ASUN in FG percentage, Merkle tops the conference in rebounding (10.2) and ranks second in blocked shots (2.5) and seventh in scoring (14.4).

Sheniqua Coatney approached double-doubles in each of her last two games. The senior forward collected 10 points and nine rebounds against Kennesaw State and tallied 11 and eight against EKU. Coatney has scored in double figures in three of her last four games.

Hayley Harrison followed a 13-point effort against Kennesaw State with 16 versus EKU. The sophomore guard has eight double-figure scoring performances this season and ranks second on the team at 10.5 points per game.

Bellarmine's 79 points and 31 made field goals against EKU were both season highs. The Knights' 47.0-percent shooting was their second highest against a D1 opponent this season behind the St. Bonaventure game (58.7).

Bellarmine outrebounded EKU 50-32. The Knights rank second in the ASUN in rebounding margin (plus-5.0). BU tops the conference in offensive rebounding at 13.5 per game. The Knights rank second in the league in blocked shots (4.7).

Bellarmine fans are encouraged to wear white for a white out.

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