CHARLESTON, ILL -- Eastern Illinois women's basketball was defeated in their return home by the Lipscomb Bisons, 54-47. The loss drops the Panthers to 5-6 on the season.
After the first quarter ended with a 16-13 Lipscomb lead, the Panthers got their offense going in the second quarter, as they used a 12-4 run to take a 25-20 lead. After Lipscomb came back to tie things up at 25, the Panthers ended the quarter on a 7-1 run, including a deep three at the buzzer by
Jordyn Hughes, to take a 32-26 lead into the locker room at halftime.
The Panthers were abe to keep the Bisons at arms' length for most of the third quarter, establishing a 40-34 lead with just over three minutes to play in the period. But Lipscomb used an 8-2 run to tie things up at 42 apiece heading into the fourth quarter. After Lipscomb made the first basket of the final period to take a 44-42 lead, an
Abby Wahl three-pointer gave EIU back the lead at 45-44. However, the Panthers would miss their last nine shots from the field, as the Bisons ended the game on a 10-2 run.
Lariah Washington led the team in both scoring and rebounding, with 13 and nine, respectively. The game marked her ninth double-digit scoring effort in 11 games this season.Â
Jordyn Hughes finished with 12 points, while
Abby Wahl contributed with 11 points and five rebounds.
Despite the loss, the Panthers outscored the Bisons 17-10 in points off turnovers, 18-12 in points in the paint, and 11-3 in fast break points. Overall, EIU turned Lipscomb over 20 times.
Next up, the Panthers will head back on the road to wrap up out-of-conference play in Madison against the Wisconsin Badgers. Tipoff is scheduled for noon CT.