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CHARLESTON, Ill. – Eastern Illinois clamped down on defense Saturday afternoon and the Panthers locked up the Ohio Valley Conference West Division title with a 60-43 win over Belmont in women's basketball action.  EIU will be guaranteed a one or two seed in the OVC Tournament which starts March 6 in Nashville.

The Panthers limited the Bruins to just 24 percent shooting from the field as they improved to 19-8 overall, 12-2 in the OVC.  Belmont slipped to 15-12, 9-5 in the OVC.  EIU plays at UT Martin on Thursday night with a 7 p.m. start.

Both teams struggled to find any offense in the early going as Belmont led 7-6 with 11:48 left to play in the first half after Adrienne Tarrence hit one of two free throws.  EIU then went on a 13-4 run over the next for minutes as Kelsey Wyss drained a 3-pointer with 7:29 to play to put the Panthers up 19-11.

Ta'Kenya Nixon added three free throws and a pair of jumpers in the final 1:44 of action as EIU stretched the lead to double figures.  Nixon finished with 23 points making 11-of-12 free throws.  She tied Rachel Galligan's mark for career free throws made with 523.  Nixon added nine rebounds and six assists.

Katie Brooks banked in a 3-pointer from half court as time expired to cut EIU's halftime lead to 28-17.

EIU kept the margin at double figures the entire second half taking a 20-point lead with 8:18 left to play as Nixon was again good from the free throw line giving the Panthers a 47-27 lead. 

Jordyne Crunk's 3-pointer with 4:56 to play put EIU up 56-32, its largest margin of the afternoon.  EIU was just 5-of-12 from 3-point range shooting but finished shooting just 38 percent from the field.  Sydney Mitchell was the only other Panther to reach double figures with 11 points.  Mitchell had nine rebounds as EIU won the battle on the glass, 46-37.

Jordan Coleman led Belmont with 12 points and 13 rebounds.  Jordyn Luffman had ten points.