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CHARLESTON, Ill. - Eastern Illinois had three players score in double figures as the Panthers won their eighth straight Ohio Valley Conference opener with a 80-70 win over Tennessee State on Saturday afternoon.

EIU improved to 6-6 on the season, 1-0 in the OVC. The Panthers host Morehead State next Saturday at 4:15 p.m. TSU fell to 3-11, 0-1 in the OVC.

Tennessee State built an early first half lead behind some surprise shooting from 3-point range as the Lady Tigers made 2-of-6 from beyond the arc led by Brianna Lawrence and Diamond Beatty each sinking a triple.

The Panthers struggled from 3-point range early in the game and showed some signs of the holiday hangover. Katlyn Payne broke the Panthers misery with back-to-back 3-pointers in the final 1:26 of action as EIU lead 34-31 at the half. Rachel Allen scored the final basket of the half for TSU on a jumper in the final second. Allen had ten of her team high 22 points in the first half for TSU.

Allen continued the Lady Tigers run to open the second half as she hit two 3-pointers and TSU led 38-34. Payne answered with a pair of 3's for EIU as she finished with 18 points.

As the Lady Tigers extended their defense to the perimeter, EIU dumped the ball down low to junior Sabina Oroszova. Oroszova opened the game 1-of-7 from the floor but finished with 22 points on 11-of-22 shooting. She had 14 points in the second half. Oroszova posted her third straight double-double and seventh of the season adding 14 rebounds as EIU dominated the glass with 43-33 advantage.

EIU built its lead to nine points at 63-54 as Erica Brown hit a pair of free throws with 7:11 to play. TSU cut the lead to three points as Imani Davis hit a 3-pointer as the shot clock expired followed by a Jayda Johnson lay-up and a free throw by Chelsea Hudson. EIU limited Hudson, TSU's leading scorer, to only ten points with six of those coming at the free throw line. Johnson had 11.

The Panthers slowly extended the lead with some timely free throw shooting as Payne, Oroszova, Jordyne Crunk and Aaliyah Gaines all made a pair of free throws. EIU led by as many as 11 in the final 46 seconds. Crunk was the third EIU player in double figures with 14 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.

EIU shot 55 percent for the game and 70 percent in the second half.