PDF Box | HTML Box | Photo Gallery (by Sandy King)

CHARLESTON, Ill. – For the second straight game Eastern Illinois sealed a victory at the free throw line as Morgan Palombizio sank a pair of free throws with 14 seconds remaining to close out a 68-64 win over Western Illinois.

With the win EIU improves to 2-3 on the year with back-to-back home wins. WIU fell to 3-4. The Panthers return to action this weekend at the UMKC Tournament with a Friday game against UAB and a Saturday game against UMKC. Both games will tip off at 3:30 p.m.

EIU opened the game with hot outside shooting as they jumped out to a 13-7 lead with Katlyn Payne's jumper at 15:15 to play. WIU would chip into the Panthers lead behind the solid play of Ashley Luke who finished with a game high 29 points and 14 rebounds for the Leathernecks.

Luke sank a pair of free throws with 2:14 to play in the first which gave WIU a five point lead. EIU cut the halftime margin to 29-26 as Jordyne Crunk made two free throws. Crunk had 11 of her 17 points in the first half for EIU.

In the second half the two teams traded the lead seven times with Luke's lay-up with 10:25 remaining giving Western Illinois a three point lead 48-45. The Panthers regained the lead on a lay-up by Crunk with 8:11 to go and extended it to four points on an Arnisha Thomas jumper at 7:38.

Luke made one of two free throws with 6:07 remaining to tie the game for the ninth time at 52-52. Payne then sank 3-pointers on EIU's next two possessions to give the Panthers a five point lead. Payne led EIU with 19 points hitting 5-of-8 from 3-point range. The junior added seven rebounds and three assists.

Western Illinois cut the lead to one point three times in the final four minutes but each time EIU had an answer. Payne's 3-pointer with 56 seconds left to play pushed EIU's margin to four points. Tori Niemann cut the lead in half with a lay-up before Palombizio finished off the game with the free throws.

Oroszova was the third Panther to score in double figures finishing with 12 points. Niemann had 12 points for WIU to finish as the Leathernecks only other player in double figures.

EIU shot 58 percent from the field in the second and 50 percent from 3-point range for the game. WIU won the battle on the glass 42-38