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VALPARAISO, IND -- Eastern Illinois women's basketball earned their second straight 3-0 start with a 73-67 win over the Valparaiso Beacons.  The win marks EIU's first win over Valpo since the 1995 Mid-Continent Conference Tournament.

"We did a good job fighting, and we did a good job seeing the court,"  said head coach Matt Bollant.  "We had 19 assists and only 11 turnovers."

Macy McGlone got things started offensively for the Panthers, hitting two quick layups to give EIU the early 4-0 lead.  Valpo responded with a 16-4 run including three three-pointers to take a 16-8 lead.  Unfazed, the Panthers would answer with an 8-2 run capped by back-to-back Lariah Washington layups to pull back to within two.  Valpo would ultimately take a 20-17 lead at the end of the first quarter.  With the game tied at 24-24 midway through the second quarter, the Beacons would use a converted and-one followed by another three-pointer to take a 30-24 lead.  Despite having Lariah Washington on the bench in foul trouble for most of the period, the Panthers were able to respond with a 12-0 run bookended by two Julia Bengtson three-pointers to take a 36-30 lead.  Valpo would then score five straight points to end the half.

The Beacons would extend the run to open the second half, hitting the first shot of the third quarter to retake a 37-36 lead.  McGlone would hit another layup in response to give EIU the lead back at 38-37.  The two teams would exchange leads seven more times throughout the period before a banked-in three-pointer at the buzzer by Washington tied the game at 52 and set the tone for the fourth quarter.  A Beacon layup to start the fourth quarter was matched on the other end by another Washington layup, before another Valpo three-pointer gave the Beacons a 57-54 lead.  Two Bengtson made two free throws sparked a 15-7 Panther run that was highlighted by 13 straight EIU points from Washington to give EIU a 69-64 lead with 1:27 remaining.  After two Beacon free throws, Washington scored her 14th consecutive EIU point to give the Panthers a 70-66 lead with 27 seconds to go.  The Panthers made their free throws down the stretch to ultimately secure the road victory.

Washington led all scorers with 33 points, 25 of which came in the second half.  She shot 11-of-18 from the field, including 3-of-4 from three-point range and 8-of-11 from the free throw line.  Her 33 points were just two shy of her career high.  She also recorded four rebounds and four assists.  Bengtson scored 11, while McGlone contributed with nine points and five rebounds.  Miah Monahan ran the point effectively once again, scoring six points, dishing out seven assists, and grabbing five rebounds.  She has had seven assists or more in all three games this season.  Playing in her home state, Morgan Litwiller scored four points, grabbed six rebounds, and dished out three assists. 

Coming off the bench, Lyric Johnson scored four points and set a new career high with a team-leading eight rebounds.  Haley Cameron hit a three-pointer.

"I thought Haley came in and gave us a big three,"  said Coach Bollant.  "And Lyric had eight rebounds and just guarded well.  It's good to see our bench giving us a lift and making plays."

The Panthers recorded 19 assists on 25 made shots.  They also outscored the Beacons 18-13 in second chance points. 

Up next, the Panthers will return home to take on the Loyola Chicago Ramblers on Sunday, November 20.  Tipoff is scheduled for 2 PM CT.