CHARLESTON, Ill. – The Panthers opened 2017-18 exhibition play with a 77-70 win over Indiana State. EIU scored 21 fourth quarter points to secure the seven point win.
Indiana State and EIU traded baskets the first quarter with each team scoring 16 points. Wendi Bibbins scored nine of the Sycamores 16 points shooting perfect from the field.
Grace Lennox had six first quarter points and three assists while four other EIU players connected from the field.
The second quarter played out similar to the first with each team trading baskets and scoring 19 points apiece. The Panthers stepped up their defense holding Bibbins to four second quarter points and forced the Sycamores to commit seven turnovers. EIU finished the game with 25 points scored off of Indiana State turnovers.
The Panthers headed into the fourth quarter down two as they gave up 23 third quarter points to Indiana State. The Sycamores Tierra Webb and AJ Thomas scored seven and eight points, respectively.
A lay-up by
Carmen Tellez with 5:17 left to play in the fourth quarter put EIU up by one leaving Indiana State to trail for the remainder of the game. Tellez finished the game with 8 fourth quarter points and 17 total. She connected on 6-11 field goals and shot 50 percent from behind the arc with five three-pointers made.
Lennox stepped up scoring 11 fourth quarter points with two back-to-back three-pointers to put the Panthers up by nine. Lennox shot 56 percent from the field and 57 percent from the three-point range. She finished with 25 points, five assists, and two steals in EIU's 77-70 win.
EIU shot 46 percent from the field and 37 percent from behind the arc.
Taylor Steele and
Halle Stull added fifteen points from the bench.
Jennifer Nehls fell short of a double-double with nine points and seven rebounds for the Panthers.
Indiana State's Wendi Bibbins finished with a double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Webb connected on six field goals scoring 13 points for the Sycamores. Ashley Taia had 10 points and seven rebounds.
The Panthers will host Rose-Hulman Monday Nov. 6 for their final exhibition game this season. Tip-off is set for 5:15 p.m. EIU will open regular season play at home on Nov. 10 vs. Northern Illinois.