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CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - The Eastern Illinois Panthers (8-9, 6-6 OVC) defeated the No. 2 ranked Southeast Missouri Redhawks (9-6, 7-3 OVC), 51-49. The Panthers and Redhawks went blow for blow against each other, as both teams shot poorly from the floor throughout. The Panthers were led by Lariah Washington, who finished with a season-high 24 points, and Kira Arthofer, who finished with a career-high 15 points. The Panthers battled to the end, and despite only holding the lead for 32 seconds, pulled off the upset in Cape Girardeau. The Panthers will return to Charleston, Ill. to face Belmont on Thursday, Feb. 4, at 4:30. 

QUICK STATS

• The game was tied ten times this game; the most times this has happened this season.
• Lariah Washington scored a season-high 24 points.
• Kira Arthofer scored a career-high 15 points.
• Taylor Steele tied the 7th spot in career-3-pointers at EIU (Barbora Garbova).
• The Panthers defeated SEMO for the first time since 2016-17.
• Both the Panthers and the Redhawks shot 31% from the field.
• The Panthers finished with seven turnovers, the least amount this season.
• The Panthers had the lead for only 32 seconds.

QUARTER-BY-QUARTER
Southeast Missouri's defense locked down the Panthers in the first half of the first quarter. Kira Arthofer had made the lone Panther field goal, while Morgan Litwiller had the only other point in the game coming off a free throw. SEMO All-OVC guard, Tesia Thompson, scored 8 points in the first quarter. Eastern Illinois went on a five-minute scoring drought that was finally snapped by a Washington layup. The Panthers' defense was reinvigorated after the media timeout, as they held the Redhawks to no field-goals-made for five minutes. Arthofer intercepted a pass that led to an easy transition layup to cut into the Redhawks' lead. EIU shot only 24% from the field. SEMO's nine free throw attempts were the difference-maker early on. The Panthers trailed SEMO, 15-9.

 It was an ugly start for both teams in the second quarter. Wahl managed her first point off a free throw to give the Panthers their first point in a little over two minutes. Washington became the first player in double-digits and tied the game up 17-17 with a pair of free throws. EIU again was flustered by the stingy defense of the Redhawks; Eastern Illinois went over five minutes without a field-goal-made for the second time in this early game. Litwiller broke the trend for the Panthers, this time with an easy layup. Washington followed Litwiller's layup with one of her own that cut the lead down to a single point. Southeast Missouri shot 25% from the field; EIU shot 23% from the field. The Redhawks led the Panthers at halftime, 22-21.

Washington continued to carry the scoring load out of the halftime break. Taylor Steele and Wahl both got involved as they both recorded their first made field goals. The Panthers' offense started to warm up against the tight defense of SEMO. Eastern Illinois went on a 6-0 run against the Redhawks. Before the media timeout, the Panthers were able to tie the game 33-33. Out of the break, SEMO regained the lead, but Washington was determined to keep the Panthers in this ball game. Before the final buzzer, Washington drove towards the basket and dumped it off to Arthofer in the corner, who nailed the 3-pointer to put the Redhawks led to 40-38. 

The final quarter started slow for both teams, as it took 4 minutes for a score in the fourth quarter off of a pair of Washington free throws. Arthofer broke into the double-digit scoring column after a tough layup. Arthofer was the only other EIU player to have over 10 points besides Washington. Arthofer's layup tied the game up for the seventh time. Washington made two free throws to give the Panthers their first lead of the game halfway through the fourth quarter. Thompson of the Redhawks scored a pair of free throws to tie the game back up for the eighth time. Litwiller collided with a Redhawk player that pulled her out of the game going into the final moments. After a 3-point miss from Wahl, Arthofer snatched the offensive rebound and passed it out to Jordyn Hughes, who found a wide-open Steele who nailed the tying 3-pointer. A jumper by Arthofer put the Panthers up with a late jumper. The Panthers had Arthofer at the line to clinch the win but was unable to make either of her free throws. Thompson was able to get a good look from the elbow but was unable to get the shot to fall. The Panthers shocked the No. 2 team in the OVC, 51-49.