CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Rachel Galligan led all scorers with 22 points on 10-of-13 shooting, moving within 17 points of the Eastern Illinois women's basketball all-time scoring record and leading the Panthers to a 69-56 victory at Austin Peay Thursday evening.

Eastern (21-8, 14-3 OVC) shot 54 percent from the field and all 10 Panthers that saw action scored. Ellen Canale backed up Galligan with 12 points, scoring in double-figures for the fifth straight game. Megan Edwards finished with seven points and four assists, and Lindsey Kluempers added six points and six rebounds.

 

Eastern blew the game open with a 14-2 run over the final five and half minutes of the first half. The Panthers' four aforementioned seniors scored all 14 points. Austin Peay (13-15, 9-8 OVC), meanwhile, went without a field goal during that span.

 

The Panthers can clinch the No. 2 seed in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament Saturday with a win at Tennessee State (13-4 OVC), or victories by Austin Peay (vs. Southeast Missouri) and Morehead State (at UT Martin). Murray State (15-2 OVC) claimed the top seed in next week's tournament and at least a share of the league crown with its win vs. Morehead Thursday.

Eastern led by as many as 26 with 11 minutes remaining in the game. With the EIU starters on the bench, the Lady Govs enjoyed a 13-4 scoring edge over the final five and a half minutes of the contest.

 

Galligan scored 20-plus in Clarksville for the third consecutive year and made 10 field goals for the second year in a row. She'll enter Saturday's regular-season finale with 1,790 career points. Nancy Kassebaum's career scoring record has stood at 1,807 since 1983.

 

“I like playing here,” Galligan said, “I've had some pretty sweet games here. I don't know what it is, but I do like this arena.”

 

The Panthers limited APSU to 32 percent shooting and only seven first-half field goals. After the Lady Govs jumped out to a 5-0 lead, EIU answered with an 11-4 spurt capped by the first of Galligan's two three-point plays.

 

Austin Peay's last lead was 13-11 at the 11:57 mark of the first half. Eastern outscored the home team 24-6 the remainder of the half.

 

The Panthers extended their lead to 26 points lead with an 8-2 spurt over a three-minute span in the second half.

Saturday's EIU-TSU game in Nashville is slated for a 5:30 p.m. tip.

More Info: Contact Ben Turner, Asst. SID