Boxscore: PDF | HTML

JACKSONVILLE, Ala. – Dominique Sims tied her career-high with 19 points and Rachel Galligan recorded a 12-point, 11-rebound double-double, as Eastern Illinois women's basketball posted its first road win of the season with a 71-58 victory at Jacksonville State Saturday evening.

 

Ellen Canale scored 13 of her 15 points in the second half, including six on one trip down the floor. Ashley Thomas rounded out the quartet in double-figures with 10 points.

 

The Panthers (9-5, 3-0 OVC) led 41-17 at the half and enjoyed a double-figure advantage for 30 of the game's 40 minutes.

 

Eastern won the rebounding battle 44-28 and made 15-of-16 shots at the free throw line. The Panthers turned their 15 offensive boards in 20 second-chance points.

 

Sims connected on 8-of-12 from the field, including a pair of early 3-pointers, and finished one rebound shy of a double-double. Galligan, meanwhile, moved into fourth and fifth place on the EIU all-time scoring and rebounding lists, respectively.

 

Leading by three with 12 minutes to go in the first half, Eastern went on a 12-0 run to open up a double-figure lead for good. Thomas scored eight straight points, connecting on back-to-back 3-pointers, to key the spurt.

 

Beginning with that run, EIU outscored Jax State (3-9, 0-2 OVC) 27-6 the remainder of the first half. Six different Panthers scored during the surge. The Gamecocks, meanwhile, went five minutes and 27 seconds without a field goal during one stretch and connected on just two baskets while EIU was pulling away.

 

“You've got to understand that when you have a lead like we did, it's imperative that you come out and you don't worry about the scoreboard,” EIU head coach Brady Sallee said. “You need to do the same things that allowed you to build the lead.

 

“The bottom line is it was our first road win. So that was a big first step for us. We never really got too high or too low, no matter what was going on out there. We withstood a pretty spirited run out of them.”

 

Jacksonville State opened the second half with a 10-0 run. Eastern didn't score until Megan Edwards connected on her team-leading 24th 3-pointer with 15:24 left in the game.

 

The EIU lead was 52-38 when Canale put together one of the most memorable possessions of her four-year career. With Canale driving to the basket for a layup, JSU's Zenobia Pitts grabbed a hold of her jersey and was whistled for an intentional foul. After making the field goal, Canale sank both free throw attempts. Eastern was given the ball out of bounds and following a missed shot by Galligan, Canale got the rebound and scored on a putback to complete her six-point trip down the floor.

 

Jacksonville State made four its seven 3-pointers in the final five and half minutes, but got no closer than 11.

 

The game was televised nationally on ESPNU. Having beaten UT Martin on the college sports channel back in February 2007, the Panthers have now won both of their national TV games on ESPNU.

 

The victory brought EIU's seven-game losing streak in true road games to an end.

Eastern returns to action Monday for a 5:30 p.m. game at Tennessee Tech.

More Info: Contact Ben Turner, Asst. SID