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CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Key runs by Eastern Illinois in the second and third quarters carried the Panthers to an OVC opening win, 71-55, over Southeast Missouri on Thursday night at the Show Me Center.

EIU won its seventh straight OVC opener improving to 4-6 on the season, 1-0 in the OVC.  SEMO fell to 1-8 overall, 0-1 OVC.

Eastern Illinois broke open a slowly played first quarter by both teams with a 12-0 run to open the second quarter.  Lyric Johnson and Sydney-James Desroches hit back-to-back 3-pointers to open the run.

Tiny Lewis capped the run with a steal and lay-up.  Lewis closed the first half with a 3-pointer at the buzzer as she had 11 first half points giving EIU a 29-17 lead at the break. 

SEMO went nearly nine minutes without points between late in the first quarter and midway through the second quarter.  Lexi McCully ended the Redhawks dry spell with free throws with 4:23 to play in the second quarter which led to a quick 5-0 run by SEMO. 

In the third quarter EIU used a 15-2 run to pad its lead.  Alex Rouse scored the first six points in the run as she finished with ten points.  Lalani Ellis scored five of the last seven in her first action for EIU since the season opener.  EIU led 48-29 after three quarters.

The early portion of the fourth quarter belonged to EIU's Macy McGlone as she joined the EIU record books posting her EIU record tying 34th career double-double.  McGlone reached double figures on a lay-up with 8:32 to play on an assist from Johnson.  McGlone finished with 17 points, 18 rebounds joining Sabina Oroszova and Toni Collins.

Zoe Best was the Redhawks leading scorer with 19 points including a pair of 3-pointers in the fourth quarter.  Indiya Bowen and Skylar Barnes joined Best in double figures for SEMO with ten points each.

Lewis scored 13 points for EIU with Desroches adding 11.  EIU dominated play on the glass finishing with a 43-24 rebounding edge.