The Panthers' strong defense was not enough to keep up with the Bulldogs. EIU generated 6 steals and forced 16 turnovers but was not able to overcome their cold shooting. 

The Panthers battled through multiple key injuries, which led to EIU losing the bench scoring battle 8-35. Each EIU starter recorded 28+ minutes played, led by Clara Glad with 36 minutes. Both teams battled early, which brought 7 lead changes in the first half. EIU went into the first quarter break trailing 13-12 after a fast break layup by Clara Glad in her 9-point performance. 

Eastern Illinois' defense kept the Panthers within striking distance, forcing 16 Bulldog turnovers and generating 6 steals. Ella Lune had two, with multiple Panthers recording one each. Eastern Illinois' resistance defensively continued to shine by holding Butler to shooting 35% from the field and 31% from beyond the arc at halftime. 

Offensively, EIU dominated in the paint, led by Abbie Boutilier, who scored 11 of the Panthers' 30 bench points. Trailing 41-28, EIU showed life when Ella Lune grabbed a rebound and went coast to coast, resulting in free throws. Lune was a positive spark for the Panthers, scoring a career-high 16 points and grabbing 6 rebounds. However, trailing 41-31 in the third quarter, Eastern Illinois was unable to overcome their cold night from the field, shooting 34% and 16% from the three-point line.

The Bulldogs raced away in the second half after scoring 10 unanswered points in the third quarter and reaching their largest lead of 25 in the final 10 minutes. Butler shared the wealth with only Anna Wypych in double figures but had seven players with 8+ points in the scoring column. 

By The Numbers: Ella Lune shined with a season high of 16 points and grabbed 6 rebounds. Abbie Boutilier followed with 11 points and 3 rebounds. Ava Stoller added 9 points and 3 assists. As a team, EIU forced 16 turnovers and held Butler to 40% shooting from the field and 30% from three-point range. 

EIU will be back in action next Thursday, December 18th, when they begin OVC action against SIUE.