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Lenoir_ISU_16-17
68
Eastern Illinois EIU 4-5
73
Winner Valparaiso VALPO 4-3
Eastern Illinois EIU
4-5
68
Final
73
Valparaiso VALPO
4-3
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Eastern Illinois EIU 5 21 15 27 68
Valparaiso VALPO 17 15 27 14 73

Game Recap: Women's Basketball |

EIU Women's Comeback Bid Falls Short At Valparaiso

The Panthers outscored Valpo 27-14 in the fourth quarter, but could not complete the comeback falling to the Crusaders 73-68.



Box Score

VALPARAISO, Ind. - The Eastern Illinois women's basketball team's fourth quarter comeback fell short as the Panthers lost to Valparaiso 73-68 Saturday afternoon. With the loss EIU drops to 4-5 on the year while the Crusaders improve to 4-3.

Four Panthers finished the game in double-digits led by Allison Van Dyke with 14 points and five rebounds.

EIU headed into the fourth quarter trailing Valparaiso 59-41. Freshman Zharia Lenoir opened the period draining a three-pointer to bring EIU within 15 points at the 9:42 mark.

Lenoir scored eight points in the fourth quarter alone to record a new career high with 11 points in the game. The Panthers chipped away at the Crusader lead as Van Dyke brought the Panthers within 10 sinking a three-pointer of her own to make it 73-66 with 1:07 left in the game.

EIU picked up the defensive pressure against the Crusaders throughout the fourth quarter but could only manage two free throws from Grace Lennox to close out the period and earn the final score of 73-68. Lennox finished the game with 12 points and six assists.

The Panthers outscored Valpo 27-14 in the fourth quarter closing out the game within five of the Crusaders, but time expired before they could complete the comeback.

Van Dyke scored nine points in the fourth quarter going 2-of-3 from the three-point line as the Panthers were 5-for-8 from beyond the arc in the final period.

The Panthers opened the game jumping out to a 5-2 lead following a layup from Allison Van Dyke at the 6:53 mark. From there it was all Valpo the rest of the first quarter as the Crusaders went on a 15-0 run to end the period leading 17-5.

EIU shot only 15 percent in the first quarter.

It looked like it would be the same story in the second quarter as Valparaiso's Dani Franklin drilled a three-pointer to open the period and extend Valpo's lead to 20-5.

Jalisha Smith finally broke EIU's scoreless streak at the 8:49 mark with three points the hard way sinking a layup and drawing a foul with 8:49 left in the first half. Smith finished the game with 11 points and four rebounds.

Smith's bucket sparked a 17-0 run for the Panthers capped off by a three-pointer from Carmen Tellez to regain the lead for EIU 22-20 with 4:47 left in the half. 

Valpo answered right back with a 12-4 run of their own to close out the quarter and lead the Panthers 32-26 at halftime.

The Crusaders came out shooting in the second half building their lead to 11 points following a Franklin bucket. EIU closed the gap getting as close as six points thanks to a layup from Erica Brown to make it 38-32 at the 7:15 mark. 

That would be the last bucket for EIU until the 1:15 mark as the Panthers went cold from the floor. Valparaiso built their lead to as high as 18 points in the quarter before Lenoir snapped EIU's cold streak with a three-pointer to make it 39-15 with 1:15 left in the period.

The Crusaders out-rebounded EIU 35-25 in the game as Valpo's Franklin led all scorers with 33 points.

EIU returns to Lantz Arena Wednesday for an afternoon game against Cleveland State at 3 p.m.
 
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