Box Score |
Photo Gallery (by
Sandy King)
CHARLESTON, Ill. - It was a low scoring affair Saturday afternoon as the Eastern Illinois women's basketball team managed to hold off Tennessee Tech in a defensive battle. The 54-46 win marks the first time this season the Panthers have recorded a win scoring 65 points or less as EIU improves to 8-15 on the year and 4-7 in the OVC.
TTU recorded 25 turnovers in the game as the Golden Eagles fell to 9-15 and 6-5 in the conference.
Both
Grace Lennox and
Erica Brown led the team with 13 points each. Brown recorded six rebounds in the game to put her at 10th on the all-time career rebounds list with 674. She also earned one block in Saturday's game to give her 45 blocks this year tying her for seventh all-time in a single season.
The EIU defense played a huge factor in the win as the Panthers tied their season high of 14 steals as a team for the fourth time this year.
The Panthers took the lead early jumping out to a 4-0 lead thanks to a layup from Lennox at the 7:49 mark. EIU was able to hold Tennessee Tech under 10 points throughout the first quarter as a last second jumper from
Danielle Berry closed out the period with EIU in front 12-9. Berry finished the game recording a career high seven points to go along with five rebounds and four steals.
The second quarter was a hard fought period as both teams traded buckets resulting in four ties and four lead changes throughout the period.
Halle Stull was a huge factor for EIU in the second quarter scoring all seven of her points in the game during the second period alone. Stull drained a jumper with 53 seconds left to give EIU a 28-25 lead heading into halftime as she finished the game leading the team with six rebounds and five assists.
Tennessee Tech closed out the first half out-rebounding EIU 23-10, but recorded 12 first half turnovers compared to four for the Panthers.
The third period was played at the free throw line as both teams combined for only five buckets in the quarter. The Panthers shot only 21 percent in the third quarter, but TTU could not take advantage recording 10 turnovers in the period. Lennox scored seven of EIU's 11 points in the third quarter going 5-for-6 from the free throw line.
EIU added to their 39-36 lead in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter recording back-to-back buckets to pull ahead by seven. The Golden Eagles pulled to within two points following a layup by Asia Harper at the 5:40 mark to make it 45-43, but EIU rattled off the next six points to earn their largest lead of the game with 38 seconds left to play.
Allison Van Dyke scored her only five points of the game during the final quarter as Brown and Van Dyke combined for 12 of EIU's 15 points in the period.
Tennessee Tech finished the game out-rebounding EIU 41-28, but their 25 turnovers led to 24 points for the Panthers. EIU managed to hold one of the OVC's top scorers, Yaktavia Hickson, to only eight points as TTU was led by Harper with 13 points.
EIU will travel to UT Martin next for a mid-week game Wednesday at 6 p.m.