Career Stats | Individual Game-by-Game Stats

CHARLESTON, Ill. – A second-place finish in the final Ohio Valley Conference standings and an appearance in the league tournament championship game highlighted Eastern Illinois women's basketball breakthrough season.

 

The Panthers (19-13, 15-5 OVC) accomplished numerous program firsts and established a bunch of new records. First and foremost, the team's 19 victories represented a high-water mark in the program's OVC era (1997-present) and the most since the 1987-88 team went 22-8. Eastern's 2,117 points scored were also the most in the OVC years and represented the seventh-highest total in program history.

 

Rachel Galligan led EIU in scoring and rebounding for the second year in a row en route to another appearance on the All-OVC First Team. She became the first Panther to earn consecutive First Team All-Conference nods since Toni Collins in 1983 and '84. After posting the first 500-point season by a Panther since 2002, Galligan will enter her senior season 498 points shy of the EIU all-time scoring record. She led the conference in scoring in both all games and OVC play.

 

Galligan did break EIU career records for free throws made and blocked shots this season. Thanks in part to an impressive .860 free throw percentage and 28-of-31 showing at the charity stripe at the OVC Tournament (the latter of which established yet another record), Galligan broke the EIU single-season mark for free throws made for the second year in a row.

 

As a team, meanwhile, the Panthers ranked seventh nationally in free throw percentage en route to breaking the program's single-season records for makes, attempts and percentage. Eastern also ranked 20th nationally in 3-point field goal percentage and broke the program record for blocked shots for the second time during head coach Brady Sallee's four-year tenure.

 

To reach the championship game of the OVC Tournament, the Panthers knocked off top-seeded Southeast Missouri – the two-time defending tournament champs – in the semifinals. Eastern won the game 52-40. The Panthers held SEMO to 11 field goals, the fewest ever in an OVC Tournament game. The 40 points, meanwhile, represent EIU's top defensive effort against a Division I opponent in the program's OVC era. That victory not only sent the Panthers to their first-ever OVC Tournament title game but also gave EIU at least one victory against every league foe this season.

 

Other individual highlights included: perfect shooting performances from the field for Dominique Sims (5-of-5 FGs, 2-of-2 3FGs at Eastern Kentucky) and Ashley Thomas (6-of-6 FGs, 5-of-5 3FGs vs. Austin Peay); Lindsey Kluempers' new EIU record for 3-point field goal percentage (21-of-44, .477); and game-tying 3-pointers by Megan Edwards (at EKU) and Thomas (at Samford) to extend both games an extra five minutes.

 

As those clutch 3-pointers would suggest, 2007-08 turned out to be a very exciting campaign. When the season finally came to a close in March, EIU had played in 19 games decided by 10 points or less, posting an 11-7 record in those contests. After beginning the year 0-7, Eastern went on to win 19 of its final 25 games. A perfect December (5-0) and six-game winning streak ignited that impressive run. The Panthers played in a program-record five overtime games, including consecutive double-OT thrillers on the Alabama swing at Jacksonville State and Samford.

 

Of the 12 Panthers that scored points this past season, 11 are expected to return for the 2008-09.

 

 

 

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS (Prospect) – Marie Baker, sophomore, forward. Baker played in nine games… as EIU's lone double-figure scorer, registered a career-high 13 points on 6-of-9 shooting in just 14 minutes in the win against Illinois Tech… keyed EIU's regular-season home win against Tennessee State, scoring all nine of her points (on 4-of-8 shooting) during a two-minute stretch in the first half… also collected a season-high six rebounds in both aforementioned victories… recorded a field goals, three rebounds and a steal against Indiana State… scored all of her points in home games, averaging 4.7 points per game at Lantz Arena while shooting 55 percent from the field… also went 4-of-4 at the free throw line at home… posted three-point plays vs. TSU and IIT.

 

BLOOMINGTON (Central Catholic) – Rachel Galligan, junior, forward. First Team All-OVC… OVC All-Tournament Team… three-time OVC Player of the Week (Jan. 14, Jan. 21 and Feb. 4)… Galligan played in 27 games and started 21 times, including the final 16 contests of the season… earned First Team All-OVC honors for the second year in a row, becoming the first Panther to garner consecutive First Team All-Conference kudos since Toni Collins in 1983 and '84… first-ever Panther to receive OVC All-Tournament Team honors… named OVC Player of the Week three times in a four-week span, becoming the first Panther in the OVC era to win the award three times in the same season… broke EIU all-time records for free throws made and blocked shots… went 28-of-31 at the free throw line in the OVC Tournament, establishing a new league record for makes and attempts… her 15-of-16 showing in the OVC Tourney championship game was also a single-game league record… made 15 free throws in a game twice, tying the EIU single-game record… also tied the EIU single-game mark for free throw attempts with 18 in the home win against Eastern Kentucky… broke the EIU single-season record for free throws made for the second year in a row while shooting a career-high 86 percent at the stripe… after posting the first 500-point season by a Panther since 2002, will enter her senior season 498 points shy of the EIU all-time scoring record… became the 19th member of EIU's 1,000-point club, but just the sixth player to accomplish the feat as a junior… led the league in scoring in all games and conference play… ranked in the Top 30 nationally in scoring, field goal and free throw percentage… missed five games in November and December with a broken toe… returned to the lineup for the Dec. 19 win at Morehead State… she scored eight points in 17 minutes that night, marking the only time all season she failed to reach double-figures against an OVC opponent… returned to the starting lineup in time for the home win against EKU and scored a career-high 31 points, recording her 1000th career point that night… posted back-to-back double-doubles in the consecutive double overtime games on the Alabama road trip… in the trip opening win at Jax State, delivered a victory-clinching blocked shot at the end of the second overtime… also had an impressive 25-point, 11-rebound double-double against Tennessee State in the quarterfinals of the OVC Tournament… earlier in the season burned TSU with a 30-point, 5-block, 5-steal performance in Nashville… connected on a career-high 12 field goals and scored 27 points in just 25 minutes in the regular-season win against Murray State… shot 10-of-14 from the field and 6-of-6 at the charity stripe in the blowout win at Austin Peay… shot 60 percent from the field in conference play… actually shot free throws more efficiently on the road (89-of-90, 90 percent) than at home (59-of-75, 79 percent)… averaged 23 points per game in January, leading EIU to a 7-2 record… averaged 22 points and eight rebounds per game in the OVC Tournament… National Rankings: 20th in free throw percentage, 27th in field goal percentage and 29th in scoring… Top 10 OVC Rankings: first in scoring and field goal percentage, fifth in free throw percentage and blocked shot, and ninth in rebounding… EIU Single-Season Rankings: first in free throws made, second in free throws attempted, sixth in blocked shots, and seventh in points… EIU All-Time Rankings: first in blocked shots and free throws made, second in free throws attempted, and 11th in points.

 

DES PLAINES (Maine West) – Megan Edwards, redshirt-sophomore, guard. After missing all of the 2006-07 season with a knee injury, Edwards played in all 32 games and started 29 times… beginning with the OVC opener, started the final 24 games of the season… led the team in minutes played, logging at least 200 more minutes than every other Panther… played 30-plus minutes 25 times… matched her freshman-year total for 3-pointers made, which was an EIU first-year player record at the time… was among the league-leaders in assist-to-turnover ratio all season and ranked third in the conference in OVC play… made the game-tying 3-pointer at the end of regulation in the overtime win at Eastern Kentucky, finishing the contest with 14 points and five assists… came up big in the OVC Tournament win against Tennessee State, scoring 12 points thanks to a perfect 4-of-4 showing from 3-point land… she made three of those four treys down the stretch, blowing open a tie game with 12 minutes left… also made four 3-pointers and scored a season-high 17 points in the home loss to Tennessee-Martin… averaged 8.7 points per game in the OVC Tournament, ranking second on the team… had at least one assist in 31 of the 32 games… recorded a season-high eight assists in the win against Murray State, teaming with Rachel Galligan to shred the Racers with a number of well executed pick-and-roll plays… played 40-plus minutes in both of the back-to-back double overtime games on the Alabama road trip, connecting on a trio of 3-pointers and scoring in double-figures in both games… her 46 minutes played at Jax State were a career-high and season-high by a Panther… made at least one 3-pointer in seven straight games during one stretch of the season… scored 10 points in the win at TSU thanks to a pair of big first-half 3-pointers… enjoyed an all-around good game in the overtime win against Tennessee Tech, scoring nine points to go along with five rebounds and a season-high four steals… scored seven key points in both OVC Tournament games played in Nashville… OVC Rankings: 11th in minutes per game.

 

ELMWOOD PARK (Fenwick) – Maggie Kloak, sophomore, forward. Kloak played in all 32 games and started 11 straight in November through January… scored in double-figures in six straight games during that starting streak… was a second-half hero, scoring 137 of her total 220 points (62 percent) after halftime… averaged 12.4 points per game during the Panthers' 5-0 December… led EIU in scoring with a career-high 22 points on personal-best 8-of-12 shooting in the win at Morehead State, registering 17 points in the second half… posted her first career double-double (16 points, 14 rebounds) while playing a career-high 39 minutes in conference-opening overtime win against Tennessee Tech… scored EIU's final nine points in regulation and registered 15 of her 16 points in the second half in that overtime victory… stepped up big in the final weekend of the regular season, scoring a team-high 16 points in the win against Jacksonville State and chipping in 10 versus Samford… was 7-of-8 from the field in the Jax State victory… tied her career-high with a 7-of-8 showing in the OVC Tournament championship, helping keep EIU in the game… went for 14 points and eight rebounds against Indiana State, a performance that foreshadowed her emergence as a go-to player… nearly posted a double-double in the home loss to Southeast Missouri, recording 10 points and nine rebounds… registered 11 points on 7-of-8 shooting at the free throw line in the win at Tennessee Tech… made 20-of-25 free throws in the final six games of the season to push her season percentage above 70... did not foul out of a game.

 

MOLINE (Moline) – Ashley Thomas, sophomore, guard. Thomas played in 32 games and started three times, including both contests on the Tennessee Tech-Tennessee State road trip, which EIU swept for the first time… after starting 27 times as a freshman, her acceptance of a sixth-man role helped give EIU one of the deepest rotations in the league… put on one of the most impressive shooting performances in Lantz Arena's recent history, breaking the EIU single-game 3-point percentage record by connecting on 5-of-5 3-pointers in the win against Austin Peay… after also making her lone two-point field goal attempt and a pair of free throws, she did not miss a shot that night… that contest highlighted an impressive four-game stretch in which she averaged 15.5 points… averaged 10.3 points per game in February, ranking second on the team… scored a season-high 19 points in both the APSU win and at Samford… sent the Samford contest in Birmingham to double overtime with a game-tying 3-pointer in the final seconds of the first OT… that was her fifth 3-pointer of the game, a career-high total… scored 13 points in the double-overtime win at Jacksonville State two days earlier… stepped up big in the regular-season home win against Tennessee State, registering 14 points and career-high nine rebounds… was a perfect 8-of-8 at the free throw line, a personal-best showing, and scored 12 of her 14 points in the second half of that win… made two of the biggest baskets of the season at Lantz Arena: a jumper with 1:15 remaining against TSU and a put-back basket in the final minute of overtime versus Eastern Kentucky… finished with 11 points and seven rebounds in that OT win against EKU… went 14-of-14 at the free throw line during EIU's 5-0 December… was 4-of-4 from the field, scoring nine points, in the loss at Toledo.

 

PEORIA (Woodruff) – Jerika Carpenter, freshman, guard. Carpenter played in three games… after not seeing action until the 15th game of the season, made the most of her collegiate debut, connecting on a jumper in the final minute of the win at Austin Peay… played a season-high 14 minutes in the win against Illinois Tech, making 2-of-3 field goals attempts and rallying the home crowd behind her… also had a pair of rebounds and an assist in that win… also saw action in home win against Austin Peay, recording an assist in the final two minutes.

Out of State

 

FISHERS, Ind. (Hamilton Southeastern) – Lindsey Kluempers, junior, forward. Kluempers started all 32 games, the only Panther to accomplish the feat this season… entering the season, she had played in every game her first two seasons but never been in the starting lineup… after entering the season 1-of-19 from 3-point land, made 21-of-44 to establish a new EIU single-season percentage (.477) record… made what proved to be the game-winning shot in the double-overtime win at Jacksonville State, banking in a short jumper with 15 seconds left, en route to finishing with 11 points… stepped up big in the OVC Tournament win against Southeast Missouri, scoring nine points on 3-of-5 shooting… followed that up with seven points and five rebounds in the championship game against Murray State… posted those number after not scoring and playing just 12 minutes in the opening-round win against Tennessee State… scored a career-high 15 points on 5-of-9 shooting in the win at Morehead State… scored 10 points in the home win against Murray State thanks to a perfect 4-of-4 shooting from the field… scored 10 points in the overtime win at Eastern Kentucky thanks to a career-high 8-of-8 showing at the free throw line… scored 13 points in the win at Tennessee-Martin after making a personal-best three 3-pointers… scored in double-figures in three straight games on tail end of EIU's six-game winning streak… made 26-of-30 at the free throw line in OVC play and 23-of-25 in true road games… had more assists than turnovers in league play… was a perfect 16-of-16 at the free throw line during EIU's 5-0 December… connected on 13-of-22 3-pointers in January and February.

 

FISHERS, Ind. (Indianapolis Cathedral) – Lauren Sturtevant, sophomore, guard. Sturtevant played in all 32 games… scored a season-high six points in wins at Tennessee State (on 3-of-5 shooting) and versus Illinois Tech… went 5-of-6 at the free throw line in close games against Eastern Kentucky and Jacksonville State at home, both EIU wins… connected on three of those free throws against EKU in overtime… led the team in free throw percentage after connecting on 21-of-24 at the stripe… made four of her five 3-pointers in road games… recorded four points, four assists and no turnovers in 18 minutes in the loss to Illinois State... also had four assists in 18 minutes in the home win against Austin Peay… logged 22 minutes in wins at Morehead State and versus Eastern Kentucky… played a career-high 29 minutes against Illinois Tech, registering personal-bests for rebounds (6) and blocked shots (3).

 

VERSAILLES, Ind. (South Ripley) – Julie Lipperd, junior, forward. Lipperd played in 12 games… recorded her three best performances of the season in successive games against Bradley, Indiana State and Loyola, averaging seven points and four rebounds per game while shooting 7-of-14 from the field… scored a season-high nine points in the win against Loyola… registered eight points thanks to 4-of-5 shooting at the free throw line in the loss at Bradley… made a pair of free throws shortly after entering in the final minutes of the first half at Austin Peay to extend EIU's halftime lead… played a season-high 16 minutes three times… recorded three assists, four rebounds and the first 3-point field goal attempt of her career in the win against Illinois Tech… was 6-of-7 at the free throw line in true road games.

 

WHITELAND, Ind. (Whiteland) – Jessica Huffman, sophomore, guard. Huffman played in 26 games and started the first eight of the season… missed the first four OVC games due to a leg injury... scored in double figures and made at least one 3-pointer in seven of the eight games she started… opened the year with a season-high 24 points against Illinois, connecting on three 3-pointers… saw her first significant action after returning from injury in the home loss to Tennessee-Martin, recording four assists in 12 minutes… her best game in OVC play was at Tennessee Tech, registering 11 points, five rebounds and four assists in 25 minutes… posted eight key points and six rebounds in the OVC Tournament win against Southeast Missouri… gave EIU a lift off the bench on the Southeast Missouri-Murray State road trip, scoring seven points at SEMO and eight at Murray and making three 3-pointers total on the trip… scored 10 points in just 15 minutes in the home win against Morehead State… led the way with 20 points and four steals in the loss to Indiana State… played 29 minutes against Illinois Tech, registering eight points, six assists, four rebounds and three steals.

 

CANTON, Mich. (Plymouth-Salem) – Ellen Canale, junior, guard. Canale played 30 games and started 29 times… put together her top all-around season, posting season career-highs for points, 3-poitners and blocked shots while registering more assists than turnovers… averaged 27.6 minutes per game, third highest on the team… regularly matched-up against the opposition's top offensive guard… stepped up during the conference-opening weekend, scoring in double-figures in both the wins against Tennessee Tech (14) and Tennessee State (15) as EIU began OVC play 2-0… scored a season-high 17 points in the overtime win at Eastern Kentucky thanks to a 3-of-3 showing from 3-point land… also made a trio of 3s in wins at Austin Peay and versus Samford… led EIU in scoring with 15 points in the regular-season home win against Tennessee State, collecting a season-high eight rebounds as well… registered 16 points in the double-overtime loss at Samford… then posted 11 points, on 4-of-5 shooting, six rebounds and five assists in the rematch with Samford, which EIU won at home… tied her career-high with five assists twice… made a 3-pointer in eight straight games at one juncture of the season… made 24 of her 28 3-pointers in OVC play, shooting 45 percent in conference play to rank fourth in the OVC… shot 83 percent at the free throw line in road games… averaged 10.6 points per game and made 6-of-11 from 3-point land during EIU's 5-0 December.

 

FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. (Farmington) – Brittney Coleman, senior, guard. Coleman did not see action this season after suffering a knee injury over the summer.

 

WICHITA FALLS, Texas (Burkburnett) – Dominique Sims, sophomore, guard. OVC All-Newcomer Team… two-time OVC Newcomer of the Week (Jan. 28 and March 3)… Sims played in all 32 games and started the final 27 contests of the season… scored in double-figures 13 times, including three straight on three occasions… led the team in steals and ranked second in scoring, rebounding, assists and 3-pointers made… shot the ball extremely well at the line (14-of-17) and from 3-point land (16-of-26) on the road… averaged 12 points and 7.5 rebounds during EIU's 5-0 December… led EIU to an overtime victory in the OVC opener with a 19-point, 10-rebound double-double, connecting on a season-high seven field goals while playing 40 minutes… led the team in scoring in that game as well as Illinois State (15), Missouri (15), Loyola (13) and Morehead State (19) at home… nearly posted a triple-double in the home win against Eastern Kentucky, finishing with 14 points, nine rebounds and eight assists… came through big in the final three home games of the year, scoring 14, 12 and 11… earned OVC Newcomer of the Week honors after her 15 points on 3-of-3 shooting from 3-point land in the home win against Morehead State… also took home the award averaging solid all-around numbers during the final weekend of the regular season… began her EIU career 8-of-11 from 3-point land… would have broken the EIU single-season 3-point percentage record if not for teammate Lindsey Kluempers' better mark this year… did not miss a shot in the overtime win at Eastern Kentucky, going 5-of-5 from the field (including 2-of-2 from 3-point land) and 4-of-4 at the free throw line… made a 3-pointer in seven straight games late in the season… OVC Rankings: third in 3-point field goal percentage.

More Info: Contact Ben Turner, Asst. SID