Box Score
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - The Panther women's basketball team held off a late fourth quarter comeback attempt from Southeast Missouri to win 71-62 Saturday afternoon. Three Panthers finished the game in double-figures as EIU improved to 7-13 on the year and 3-5 in the OVC.
With the win, EIU surpasses their conference win total from last season while SEMO falls to 8-12 and 2-5 in conference play.
Grace Lennox once again led the team in scoring with 18 points marking her ninth game in a row in double-figures.
The Panthers managed to hold one of the OVC's top three-point shooting teams to 22 percent from beyond the arc out-shooting the Redhawks 6-5 in made three-pointers.
Carmen Tellez was the key to EIU's production from beyond the arc going 5-10 from three-point range to set a new career high with 17 points.
EIU headed into the fourth quarter leading SEMO 48-41 as both teams started the period trading three-pointers. The Panthers then went on a 13-2 run to push their lead to 15 points off a three-pointer from Tellez at the 4:17 mark to make it 61-46. Tellez scored nine of her 17 points in the fourth quarter alone.
The Redhawks did not go away answering right back with an 8-0 run eventually halted by a jumper from
Erica Brown. Brown finished the game recording her second-straight double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds.
SEMO continued to chip away at the Panthers lead as a made free throw from Bri Mitchell put the Redhawks within four 64-60 with 41 seconds left to play. Mitchell led all scorers with 20 points.
The last seconds of the game came down to the free-throw line as the Panthers sank seven buckets from the charity stripe to hold off SEMO and secure the 71-62 victory.
EIU shot 39 percent for the game while out-rebounding SEMO 43-36.
It was a very tight contest to open the game as the two teams traded buckets early going back-and-forth throughout the first period. EIU led by as much as four points in the opening quarter thanks to a jumper from
Halle Stull at the 1:21 mark to make it 15-11, but SEMO would use the free-throw line to close out the first quarter tied 15-15.
The Panthers pulled ahead in the second period following a 6-0 run capped off by a Brown layup to make it 30-22 with 3:07 left in the half. Southeast Missouri scored the final five points in the half to head into the locker room trailing 30-27.
A quick five points from
Zharia Lenoir to open the second half gave EIU some breathing room as the Panthers maintained a six point lead throughout most of the third period. Lenoir finished the game with seven points.
EIU will now have a week off as they return to Lantz Arena next Saturday to host SIU Edwardsville at 1 p.m.