GAME 1
Eastern Illinois women's basketball will open the 2017-18 regular season on Friday Nov. 10 at 6 p.m. vs. Northern Illinois. The Panthers have tipped-off the regular season the past three years at home winning the 2015-16 and 2016-17 openers. In 2015-16, EIU hosted IUPUI for a 77-71 overtime win. The Panthers played Millikin last season for a dominating 97-54 opening night win.

SCOUTING NIU
NIU finished last season 21-12 overall and 12-6 in conference finishing fourth in the MAC. The Huskies return three starters and seven letterwinners from last year's squad. NIU opened the 2017-18 season with an exhibition game vs. Benedictine University. The Huskies won 96-28 with three starters and two bench players scoring in double digits. Kelly Smith led all-scorers with 18 points, while Mikayla Voigt added 11, Riley Blackwell added 13, and Errin Hodges added 10. Courtney Woods finished with a double-double scoring 13 points and grabbing 13 rebounds. The Huskies shot 46 percent from the field and 33 percent from beyond the arc.

LAST TIME OUT
The Panthers hosted Indiana State and Rose-Hulman for exhibition games this season. EIU defeated the Sycamores 77-70 on Nov. 3. Grace Lennox had 25 points and shot 57 percent from beyond the arc for EIU. She hit back-to-back three-pointers in the fourth quarter helping secure the seven point victory. Carmen Tellez hit five three-pointers for the Panthers and added 17 points. In their final exhibition match, EIU hosted Rose-Hulman. Rose-Hulman tested the Panthers in the first half of play, but EIU ultimately walked away with a 73-58 victory. Jennifer Nehls scored 13 third quarter points to ignite the offensive spark. Lennox finished the game with 18 points, four rebounds, and four assists. Nehls shot 4-7 from beyond the arc and added 16 points for EIU.
 
HOT FROM THE ARC
The Panthers are hot from behind the arc this pre-season shooting 44 percent from the three point range. Lennox is 6-9, Nehls is 4-10, and Tellez is 6-12. Lennox and Tellez hit clutch three-point shots in the fourth quarter against Indiana State to help secure their seven point victory over the visiting Sycamores. Nehls hit 3-5 in the third quarter alone against Rose-Hulman to give the Panthers a permanent lead in the second half.
 
BOLLANT TAKES OVER
Matt Bollant joins EIU as the ninth head coach in program history following a five year stint as head coach at Illinois. In his first season with the Illini, Bollant led them to the post season for the first time in three years finishing with a winning Big Ten record for the first time in ten seasons. Before his time at Illinois, he was head coach at Green Bay. He guided the Phoenix to five straight Horizon League titles and had four straight trips to the NCAA tournament. While at Green Bay his record was 148-19 overall and 85-5 in the HL. He was named Horizon League Coach of the Year four times. Bollant started his head coaching career at Bryan College in 2002. He led the Lady Lions to four straight NAIA tournaments. Bollant holds a 343-149 overall record as he takes over the Panthers who are coming off a 9-19 losing season.