Box Score

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MACOMB, Ill. – The Panther women's basketball team dropped a 70-68 decision to in-state rival Western Illinois on Monday night at Western Hall. EIU falls to 5-5 on the year.
 
Ashley Luke hit a jumper with 57 seconds remaining in the game to put the Fighting Leathernecks (5-5) up 70-68, breaking open the game's ninth tie. EIU missed a game-tying basket with 42 seconds left before Saule Kontautaite stole an EIU pass in the closing seconds to seal the victory for WIU. The Leathernecks improved to 4-0 at home this year.
 
Trailing 29-27 with 4:52 on the clock in the first half, the Panthers used a 16-6 run on 4-for-6 shooting to take a 43-35 advantage into the locker room. The contest had seven ties and six lead changes until EIU used the late-half scoring surge.
 
WIU opened the second stanza with an 11-2 run to take a 46-45 advantage before the Panthers scored eight consecutive points to regain the lead, 53-46. The Panthers would not trail until Luke's eventual game-winning basket in the final minute of the contest.
 
Mariah King scored a game-high 18 points to pace EIU, going 8-for-12 from the floor. Four other players added nine points in Ta'Kenya Nixon, Katlyn Payne, Kelsey Wyss and Sydney Mitchell. Nixon nearly posted her second career triple-double as she also added a game-high 10 assists and a game-high eight rebounds.
 
EIU connected on a season-high 49.1 percent of its shots, going 26-for-53 from the floor. WIU hit 45.2 percent of its field-goal attempts (28-for-62) on the night. On the glass, the Panthers had one more rebound (31-30) than the Leathernecks.
 
Charnelle Reed led four WIU players in double figures with 16 points while Kontautaite and Luke both added 15 points. Michele Salvatori rounded out the scoring with 10 points.
 
The Panthers return to action at Northern Illinois on Dec. 19 at 7 p.m.