Box Score

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CHARLESTON, Ill. – Juniors Mariah King and Ta'Kenya Nixon combined for 40 points to lead the Panther women's basketball team over Indiana State, 75-60, for the first time since 2000. EIU improves to 6-2 on the year and 4-0 in games played inside Lantz Arena.
 
The win over the Sycamores was the first for Panther head coach Brady Sallee in the series with Indiana State, previously going 0-5 against the Missouri Valley Conference foe.
 
EIU never trailed in the contest, leading by as much as six points (22-16) at the 8:08 mark in the first half. Indiana State used a 13-7 run to tie the game at 29 with 3:28 left in the first half before the Panthers closed the stanza with a 10-5 run, taking a 39-34 halftime advantage.
 
The Panthers started the second half with a 13-6 run to take a 12-point lead (52-40) with 15 minutes left in the game before the Sycamores got within five (52-47) at the 9:51 mark. The five-point deficit would be as close as Indiana State would get for the rest of the game as EIU closed the game with a 23-13 run while going 13-for-18 from the charity stripe down the stretch to move to 3-0 this season against MVC opponents.
 
Nixon paced the Panthers with her 10^th career double and second in as many games, scoring 20 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. King added 20 points and eight rebounds. Sydney Mitchell chipped in 14 points, six rebounds and a game-high four assists off the bench for the Panthers. EIU's bench outscored Indiana State's bench 27-5 in the victory.
 
The Panthers out rebounded the Sycamores 44-33 and had three more steals (10-7). EIU shot 43.8 percent from the floor while Indiana State hit 31 percent of its shots. The Panthers made a season-high 32 free throws, led by Nixon who went 10-for-12 from the charity stripe.
 
Shannon Thomas led the Sycamores with a double-double, scoring 10 points and pulling down a game-high 11 rebounds. Three other players scored in double figures for Indiana State.
 
EIU returns to action at IUPUI on Dec. 17 at 6 p.m. CST.