Box Score | (Photo Credit Sean Hastings)

CHARLESTON, Ill. - The Eastern Illinois women's basketball team couldn't hang on to a slim first half lead as Wright State won 71-61 Thursday evening thanks to a big second half effort. Following the loss the Panthers drop to 2-1 on the season while Wright State improves to 3-0.

Three Panthers scored in double figures led by Allison Van Dyke with 15 points. Erica Brown broke double digits in rebounds finishing the game with 12, but EIU was out-rebounded by the Raiders 37-33 for the game.

EIU finished the game out-shooting the Raiders 42 percent to 39 percent, but Wright State came up big in the third period shooting 62 percent to pull ahead in a close game.

Wright State jumped out in front early with the first five points of the game eventually halted by a layup from Jalisha Smith at the 8:56 mark. Smith finished the game with 10 points and seven rebounds. Both teams traded buckets as EIU built up a little breathing room leading by as much as four points thanks to a Van Dyke layup to make it 14-10 with 3:11 left to go in the first quarter.

The Panthers closed out the first period leading 17-15.

EIU opened the second quarter on a 6-0 run capped off by a layup from Brittin Boyer at the 6:28 mark to make it 23-15. Boyer finished the game with 10 points to tie her career high while adding six rebounds.

The Panthers pushed their lead to as high as nine points in the period with a jumper from Grace Lennox with two minutes left in the half to bring the score to 29-20. Lennox recorded nine points in the game along with four assists. Wright State limited the damage as they headed into halftime as Chelsea Welch earned back-to-back buckets to send both teams into the locker room with EIU leading 29-24.

The Raiders came out of the locker room fired up going on a 7-2 run to open the second half and tie the game at 31 a piece at the 7:05 mark. A three-pointer from Carmen Tellez put EIU back in front but Wright State answered with two free throws and a three-pointer of their own courtesy of Emily Vogelpohl to earn their first lead since the opening minutes of the game 36-34 with 5:09 left in the third quarter.

It was back-and-forth through most of the period until Wright State closed out the quarter on a 9-2 run in the final two minutes of the third period capped off by another Vogelpohl three-pointer to make it 48-42 in favor of the Raiders headed into the fourth quarter.

Wright State out-scored EIU 24-13 in the third quarter going 4-for-7 from the three-point line.

The Raiders managed to keep EIU at arms length throughout the fourth quarter. The Panthers got as close as two points following a three-pointer from Van Dyke at the five minute mark to make it 58-56, but Wright State regained their cushion with a layup and yet another three-pointer this time from Welch to make it 63-56 with 2:15 left to go.

Wright State closed out the match at the free throw line to earn the 71-61 victory.

WSU was 6-for-11 from beyond the three-point line in the second half finishing the game 7-for-21. Vogelpohl recorded a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds while Welch led all scorers with 23 points.

The Panthers have a quick turnaround as they head to Florida for their next two matches beginning with Stetson Saturday at 4 pm.