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CHARLESTON, Ill. – Eastern Illinois women's basketball locked up a spot in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament on Saturday afternoon as the Panthers escaped with a 49-48 win over Southeast Missouri during the Pink Game at Lantz Arena.
 
EIU improved to 10-17 overall, 7-7 in the OVC.  The Panthers will host UT Martin on Wednesday night at 6 p.m. for their senior night game.   SEMO fell to 10-17 overall, 3-11 in the OVC.
 
Eastern Illinois led virtually the entire game after scoring the first points 39 seconds into game on a free throw by Shakita Cox.  Erica Brown would add a jumper on the next possession before SEMO made it 3-2 with a basket by Erin Bollmann with 16:59 to play.  That would be as close as the Redhawks would get until late in the game.
 
The Panthers pushed the lead to 11-2 with two lay-ups and a 3-pointer by Sabina Oroszova.  Oroszova turned in a second straight dominating performance with 22 points, 15 rebounds and six blocks.  EIU would lead by as many as 12 points in the first half as Oroszova's lay-up with 4:22 to play made it 22-10.
 
EIU led 28-20 at the break and pushed its second half lead back out to double figures on a 3-pointer by Oroszova with 15:25 to play.
 
Brianna Mitchell  and Jasmine Robinson were able to keep SEMO within striking distance in the second half as Mitchell had 14 second half points and Robinson 13.  A 3-pointer by Robinson at 5:42 brought SEMO to within three points for the first time since the early portion of the first half.  EIU answered with another Oroszova 3-pointer to push the lead back to six points.
 
Four straight points by Mitchell and a free throw by Robinson cut the EIU lead to one point with 3:06 left at 45-44.  Alece Shumpert then hit a 3-pointer with 1:07 remaining that looked like it might be enough as the junior was 2-of-5 from 3-point range finishing with eight points.
 
Mitchell drove the lane on two straight possessions and hit four straight free throws to tie the game at 48-48 with 24 seconds left.  Mitchell finished the game 10-of-10 from the foul line with 20 points.
 
Oroszova hit one of two at the free throw line with nine seconds left and EIU made a defensive stand to win the game. 
 
Brown joined Oroszova in double figures with ten points for EIU.  Robinson finished with 17 points and eight rebounds.  SEMO won the battle on the glass 45-38 including 13 offensive rebounds.