Box Score
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MARTIN, Tenn. – UT Martin hit a season-high 16 three pointers en route to an 82-62 win over the Panther women's basketball team on Thursday night. The loss snapped the Panthers eight-game win streak and dropped the squad to 19-9 (12-3 OVC).
The Panthers started the contest going 9-for-14 from the floor to take their largest lead of the game, 22-13, with 11:23 on the clock. UT Martin bounced back by outscoring EIU 36-11 for the remainder of the half, taking a 49-33 advantage into intermission. The Skyhawks (15-14, 10-5 OVC) went 10-for-19 from behind the arc in the first stanza and hit 57.6 percent of their field goals (19-for-33).
UT Martin hit six more three pointers in the second half to take their largest lead of the game 75-46 with 5:44 left in the contest. The Skyhawks finished the day connecting on 48.5 percent of their shot attempts (32-for-66).
Ta'Kenya Nixon led the Panthers with 20 points, six rebounds, six assists and four steals.
Mariah King nearly missed a double-double with 12 points and nine rebounds. EIU posted nine more rebounds than UT Martin (43-34).
Sabina Oroszova added 12 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two blocks while
Taryn Olson chipped in seven rebounds. EIU finished the night connecting on 36.9 percent of its field-goal attempts (24-for-65) and 18.2 percent of its three-point attempts (6-for-23).
EIU finished the game with six three pointers, increasing their season total to 184 – a new EIU team single-season record to break the previous mark of 180 three pointers set by the 2008-09 squad.
The Panthers return to action on Saturday, March 2 against SIU Edwardsville at 6:30 p.m. inside Lantz Arena. In addition to senior day ceremonies following the women's contest, the Panthers basketball teams are teaming up with EIU Student Life for a Blue Out Lantz Game against the Cougars. All fans are encouraged to wear blue and support the Panthers.
A win on Saturday over the Cougars clinches the Ohio Valley Conference regular-season title for the Panthers and locks up the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament on March 6-9 in Nashville, Tenn.
