Tweet #EIUBleedBlue

PDF Box  |  Photo Gallery (by Sandy King)

CHARLESTON, Ill. - SIU Edwardsville used an 11-2 run midway through the first half and took advantage of 17 first half turnovers by Eastern Illinois as SIUE won its ninth straight game with a 65-48 win over EIU in Lantz Arena.

EIU dropped to 8-15 overall, 5-5 in the OVC.  The Panthers will play at Southeast Missouri next Saturday at 3:30 p.m.  SIUE improved to 14-9 overall, 9-1 in the OVC.

EIU led 10-9 on a Morgan Martin lay-up with 11:57 to go in the first half.  SIUE then went on an 11-2 run over the next three minutes to lead 20-12.  Shronda Butts scored six of her game high 30 points during the run.

SIUE led 27-16 at the half.

The Cougars extended the lead to 15 points to open the second half on free throws by Gwen Adams and Tierny Austin.  SIUE was 14-of-21 from the free throw line while EIU made only three trips to the foul line making two.
 
EIU cut the lead to 12 points on a Sabina Oroszova 3-pointer as the senior led the Panthers with 19 points making 3-of-4 from 3-point range.  EIU was 8-of-15 from beyond the arc for 53 percent in the game.
 
SIUE stretched the lead to as many as 23 points late in the second half.  A jumper by Erica Brown and 3-pointer by Phylicia Johnson in the final minute cut into the final scoring difference.
 
Austin had 11 points for SIUE to round out the Cougars double figure scorers.  SIUE finished with a 38-18 points in the paint advantage while scoring 20 points on 23 EIU turnovers.