EIU Women Post Win

Eastern Illinois women’s basketball had four players score in double figures as the Panthers picked up their second Ohio Valley Conference road win of the season on Wednesday afternoon, 81-67, at Murray State.

EIU improved to 9-17 overall, 6-7 in the OVC. The Panthers will host Southeast Missouri on Saturday at 1 p.m. for the Pink Game. Murray State fell to 7-20 overall, 2-12 in the OVC.

The two teams traded offense in the first six minutes as the Racers led 11-8 following a LeAsia Wright 3-pointer with 14:41 to play. EIU answered with a 7-0 run with a jumper by Morgan Martin and five straight points by Sabina Oroszova.

Oroszova carried the Panthers offense in the first half scoring 17 of her 25 points in the half. She added 15 rebounds, five assists and six steals.

Oroszova’s jumper at 5:22 to play in the first gave EIU a double figure lead. The Panthers had a 24-10 points in the paint advantage as they led 40-31 at the half.

Erica Brown carried the Panthers to open the second half after sitting most of the first half with two fouls. Brown scored EIU’s first seven points in the second half as they eventually pulled out to a 68-48 point lead on a Brown free throw with 5:59 to play.

Murray State would make one final charge as they forced several EIU turnovers in the final three minutes. The Racers would trim the lead to ten points on free throws by Wright with 1:38 to play. Wright had 10 points for MSU.

EIU scored six of the final eight points on lay-ups by Oroszova and free throws by Phylicia Johnson.

Johnson had a season high 14 points. Brown had 10 points and Alece Shumpert reached double figures for the second straight game with 11 points. Shumpert was 3-of-5 from 3-point range and is 8-of-11 from 3-point land in the last two games.

EIU finished the game shooting 51 percent including 50 percent from 3-point range. Keiona Kirby led MSU with 21 points. Ke’Shunan James had 12 points. The Racers finished the game shooting 34 percent.