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Box Score

Eastern Illinois went into the game with a hindrance that no one was expecting: Taylor Steele out two to four weeks with an illness. This was a blow that most would struggle mightily with, but the Panther were resilient and came out ready to play. Karle Pace didn't skip a beat, as she scored her season-high 25 points this game. Morgan Litwiller had her best game of her career, grabbing seven rebounds and scoring 16 points. EKU couldn't find an answer as they lost by 20 points. Eastern record rises to 8-6 (2-1 OVC), while EKU falls to 6-8 (0-3 OVC).

The Panthers and Colonels started off neck and neck from the jump. Washington made up for 4 points going into the first media timeout. The Panthers looked stout on defense and held their own against the passing of EKU. Out of the break, the Panthers did a great job forcing the Colonels into turnovers. The freshman Litwiller played well in Steele's absence, scoring 8 points and nabbing two rebounds. Pace stole the show in the first with 10 points off 75% shooting and three steals. Panthers led the Colonels 27-14 going into the second quarter

Pace continued to show her game changing abilities doing everything for EIU. EKU looked like they were lost on offense during the first half of the game. By the 7:31 mark of the game, EKU had already played all of their eligible players. Grace McRae saw some action and scored her first points of the game and of the season for EIU. Litwiller hit her career high in the second quarter with 11 points with three minutes left to go in the half. The Panthers doubled the score of the Colonels going into half 46-23.  

Eastern slowed down at the start of the half. Washington was the first Panther to score with a nifty up-and-under move that opened up the layup. The rest of the team was slow to score. Pace managed to draw a foul on a three-point prayer, which she turned into 2 points. The Panthers were shooting 16.7% at the halfway mark of the third quarter. The Colonels were fighting back, but the Panthers weren't willing to let their lead go. Nehls played some valuable minutes in the third, disrupting every rebound attempt by the opposition. The Colonels ended the quarter outscoring the Panther 24-22, however the Panthers stayed in the driver seat leading 68-47 at the end of the third.

Eastern started the quarter with mostly reserves in the game, but after the first timeout Matt Bollant saw something he didn't like and decided to sub in Pace again. EIU still led by plenty, however EKU stayed scrappy and continued to fight. Abby Wahl started to take control on the inside post as the Panthers looked to slow down the pace of the game. The Colonels lost momentum due to a few bad turnovers and went back to their old ways. Pace scored her season-high 25 points in the fourth.  All players got into the game by the end of the game. The Panthers pulled off a blowout, even without the veteran Steele. Eastern defeats EKU 83-63 , the second consecutive victory against EKU for the Panthers.