Panther Women Down Jaguars

CHARLESTON – The Panther women’s basketball team outscored IUPUI 13-2 in overtime to take a 71-60 victory inside Lantz Arena on Thursday night. EIU improves to 3-3 on the year.

EIU went 2-for-2 from the floor and 9-for-10 from the charity stripe in the extra stanza to end the Jaguars (4-3) three-game winning streak. The Panther defense held IUPUI to a 9.1 field-goal percentage in overtime (1-for-11).

With the Jaguars leading by 11 points (42-31) with 11:26 left in the game, the Panthers went on a 17-4 run on 6-for-8 shooting to take a 48-46 advantage with just under six minutes remaining on the clock. The Jaguars led 58-54 with 1:48 left in the contest, but back-to-back baskets by Mariah King down the stretch would send the game into the Panthers first overtime period of the season.

King and Sabina Oroszova led the Panthers with their first double-doubles of the year. King scored 19 points and had 11 rebounds while Oroszova added 15 points and 11 rebounds. Ta’Kenya Nixon added 17 points, six rebounds and a game-high six assists and five steals.

Both squads pulled down 48 rebounds in the contest. EIU recorded 12 steals and forced 22 turnovers, leading to 25 points off the miscues.

Three Jaguar players scored in double figures led by Kerah Nelson’s game-high 24 points on 10-for-19 shooting. Katie Comello and DeAirra Goss both added 12 points in the loss. Nelson also led the Jaguars on the glass with nine rebounds.

The Panthers continue their homestand Tuesday, December 4 when they play host to Evansville at 7 p.m. inside Lantz Arena.