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Box Score | Photo Gallery (By Sandy King)

CHARLESTON, Ill. - The Eastern Illinois women's basketball team ended the year on a high note defeating Jacksonville State 71-67 in double overtime Thursday afternoon. With the win EIU snaps a seven-game losing skid improving to 5-9 overall and 1-1 in the OVC recording their first conference win of the year. JSU falls to 7-7 and 0-2 in the conference.

Four players finished the game in double-figures led by Grace Lennox and Jennifer Nehls with 17 points each. Nehls had a massive night for the Panthers setting a new career high in points and tying her career high with four assists while leading the team with eight rebounds and three blocks.

The victory over JSU is the Panthers first double overtime win since 2008 when they beat none other than Jacksonville State 83-81 in Jacksonville. This is also the first overtime win for EIU since last year's 77-71 overtime victory over IUPUI in the season opener. 

Both teams headed into overtime tied at 61 as JSU utlized an 8-1 run to close out the fourth period. The Panthers went into the fourth quarter leading 50-44 as Lennox recorded a layup in the opening seconds of the period. EIU built their lead to as high as seven points throughout the final quarter, but JSU would not go away tying the game late. Lacey Buchanon scored the final four points of JSU's run to tie the game with 53 seconds left to play as neither team could make a bucket in the final seconds of regulation.

It was the same story in the first overtime as neither team could get the go-ahead bucket. Nehls finally broke the stalemate with a jumper at the 1:58 mark to put EIU ahead 63-61. The Panthers fought to maintain their lead, but JSU's Tyler Phelion put the Gamecocks on the board in the extra period with a jumper to tie the game at 63-63 with 41 seconds left. Only two buckets were made the entire overtime period as the teams headed into the second overtime.

Lennox and JSU's Buchanon opened the second overtime trading buckets as both teams remained deadlocked at 65-65 with 3:12 to play. The Panthers took a slim lead thanks to a made free throw from Danielle Berry, and from there on out it was all Nehls. The freshman scored EIU's next five points as the Panthers closed out the second overtime on a 6-2 run to earn the 71-67 double overtime victory. Berry finished the game with a career high five points along four rebounds and two assists.

The Panthers finished the game shooting 44.8 percent compared to 32.5 percent from the Gamecocks as JSU did not lead throughout the entire game.

EIU jumped out to an early 5-0 lead to open Saturday afternoon's game following a three-pointer from Carmen Tellez at the 8:32 mark. JSU managed to pull even at 7-7 at the 6:13 mark thanks to a three-pointer from Kelly Naughton, but the Panthers would pull back ahead going on a 7-1 run capped off by a layup from Erica Brown. Brown finished the game with 10 points and four rebounds despite fouling out early in the fourth quarter. EIU maintained their lead throughout the first period as a jumper from Lennox ended the quarter with the score 18-12.

The Gamecocks fought back in the second period cutting EIU's lead down to one point after a jumper from JSU's Destany McLin at the 4:49 mark made it 22-21. Back-to-back layups from Berry helped give EIU back its five-point cushion with 3:40 left to play in the quarter. The Gamecocks managed to close out the second quarter on a small 4-0 run to go into halftime trailing the Panthers 28-27.

EIU finished the first half shooting 51.3 percent from the floor while out-scoring JSU 19-2 in the paint.

The Panthers and the Gamecocks traded buckets throughout the third quarter with EIU building its lead to as high as 10 points following a 7-0 run capped off by a jumper from Brittin Boyer to make it 48-38 at the 1:31 mark. Boyer finished the game with two points, six rebounds, and two steals. JSU answered right back with a 6-0 run of their own to close out the third period trailing EIU 48-44.

Jacksonville State out-rebounded EIU in the game 46-45 due in large part to 22 offensive rebounds from the Gamecocks. JSU finished with three players scoring in double-figures led by Buchanon with 21 points to lead all scorers. JSU also had the game's leading rebounder as Phelion nearly earned a double-double with 13 rebounds and nine points.

Allison Van Dyke was the fourth Panther to score in double-figures recording 11 points, five rebounds, and two assists. EIU finished the game out-scoring JSU 35-21 in the paint and 13-4 in points from the bench.

The Panthers will now prepare for a three-game road trip in Kentucky as they head to Morehead State next Thursday (Jan. 5) at 4:30 p.m.