FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Every Panther that saw action scored, and while shooting 56 percent from the field Eastern Illinois women's basketball established a new single-game 3-point percentage record in a 68-64 victory at IPFW Friday evening.
The Panthers (2-3) were 5-of-6 from 3-point land, making as many as IPFW (1-3) despite 22 fewer attempts. The Mastodons were 5-of-28 from behind the arc. With an 83 percent clip from long range, EIU broke the single-game program record that dated back to a January 1998 contest at UT Martin (7-of-9, .778).
Maggie Kloak led three Panthers in double-figures with 15 points.
Pilar Walker sealed the win with two free throws in the final seconds and finished with a career-high 13 points.
Sydney Mitchell enjoyed the best game of her young career and added 10.
Ashley Thomas connected on three of EIU's five 3-pointers after making only two in the first four games of the season. The senior finished the game with nine points.
“We only shot six of them so it's not like we broke a world record by any stretch,” EIU head coach Brady Sallee said. “But we shot smart ones. Ashley was feeling it a little bit and it was good to see those go down for us. I don't think we settled for 3s, which we have been doing a little bit. We pounded the ball inside and got it to the rim.”
Kloak and Walker teamed up to score EIU's final 15 points of the contest. Kloak connected on a key 12-foot jumper with the shot clock winding down and 36 seconds remaining in the game. That field goal gave the Panthers a 66-60 advantage.
In the final five minutes, Walker scored on three layups after dribble drives from the perimeter. Each of those baskets came after IPFW had scored last.
Thomas helped setup Kloak's jumper in the final minute. Eastern had already used up a good portion of the shot clock when the ball was thrown into Thomas near the left block. She spun into the lane and found Kloak on the baseline, leading to the game's final field goal.
Chelsey Jackson led IPFW with 21 points, accounting for three of her team's five 3-pointers. She was the only Mastodon to score for the field for the final four and half minutes.
Eastern did not trail in the second half and led by as many as nine. The Panthers opened up that advantage with a 9-2 spurt.
Dominique Sims accounted for the first five points. Kloak and Walker took over from there.
Eastern scored seven of the first eight points of the second half to go up 38-30 at the 16:53 mark. IPFW responded with a 10-2 run, as EIU went without a field goal for two and a half minutes.
Mitchell scored eight of her 10 points in the first eight and half minutes of the second half.
IPFW used a 12-5 surge to take the lead with 55 seconds remaining before the break. Thomas connected on her second 3-pointer on EIU's final possession to give the Panthers the lead back heading to the locker room.
Eastern was able to draw four fouls on IPFW on one possession in the first half, two being called against backup post player Laura Gerhardt. Kloak eventually went to the free throw line and made a pair to complete the trip down the floor.
IPFW enjoyed 33-24 edge in the rebounding margin, collecting a number of its 17 offensive rebounds following long caroms on missed 3-pointers.
The Panthers return to action Sunday when they open the home portion of their schedule at 4 p.m. against Brescia (Ky.). Eastern has not played a game at Lantz Arena since defeating Tennessee Tech in the opening round of the 2009 Ohio Valley Conference Tournament on March 3.
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Ben Turner, Asst. SID
