NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Three starters for Eastern Illinois women's basketball scored in double figures, leading the way during a 17-1 second half run that propelled the Panthers to a 65-51 victory against UT Martin in the semifinals of the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament Friday afternoon.

Eastern (23-9) has advanced to the OVC Tournament championship game for the third consecutive season, becoming the first team since Southeast Missouri State from 2005-07 to accomplish the feat. The Panthers are also the first top-seeded team to advance past the semis since SEMO in 2007.

Eastern takes on Austin Peay Saturday at 3 p.m. in a rematch of the 2009 tournament title game, won by the Lady Govs in double OT. Austin Peay defeated Morehead State, 78-71, in Friday's other semifinal.

Ta'Kenya Nixon led all scorers with 19 points while playing all 40 minutes for the second time this season. Dominique Sims also made seven field goals and scored 17. Maggie Kloak posted a 14-point, 12-rebound double-double, the fifth of her career. The EIU starters accounted for 63 of the 65 points, including all 35 in the second half.

All five EIU starters scored during the game-deciding, 17-1 run. Nixon and Sims both had five points and Ashley Thomas hit a key 3-pointer.

UT Martin (11-19) had tied the game at 43-43 at the midpoint of the second half with an 8-0 spurt. But the Skyhawks did not score again from the field for nearly seven minutes while EIU pulled away.

“We have a certain way that we look when we're playing well,” EIU head coach Brady Sallee said. “When we defend and we rebound, we win games.”

“I know we are a defensive team,” Sims said. “That's where our best bet [to the win game] was, to get stops and take it to the other end.”

Nixon ignited the surge with a steal and a breakaway layup and then connected on her second 3-pointer of the game 1 ½ minutes later. With EIU in front 50-44, Sims followed her own missed shot with a driving basket from the right wing. She crashed into Darnisha Lyles as the shot went in and the officials whistled Lyles for a blocking foul, her fourth. Sims made the free throw to complete the three-point play.

After UTM turned the ball over on an offensive foul, EIU moved the ball around the perimeter until Thomas connected on a wide-open 3-pointer from the right corner. The Panthers led by double figures the rest of the game.

The 3-point shot helped keep UTM in the contest. Led by four triples from Cali Cupples, the Skyhawks finished the game 8-of-17 from long range. The Panthers were 5-of-14 from 3-point land, four of the five makes coming in the second half. Thomas connected on both of her 3s after the break.

Cupples led UTM with 16 points. Point guard Erica Glisson finished with 11 points. Both players were on the floor for all 40 minutes.

Eastern outscored UTM 16-7 at the free throw line. Kloak was 8-of-10 at charity stripe and broke the EIU single-season record for free throws attempted. The Panthers also broke team's single-season mark for free throws made.

Despite getting no scoring from its bench, EIU dominated the specialty statistics. Eastern outscored UTM 32-14 in the paint and enjoyed a 12-0 edge in fast break points. With the methodical Skyhawks making a decisive effort to slow down Nixon in transition, they only scored one field goal after an offensive rebound. Eastern, meanwhile, turned its 10 offensive rebounds into 16 second-chance points.

A one-point game at the half, EIU opened up the first notable lead of the game's final 20 minutes with an 8-2 spurt. Nixon converted on a three-point play after a steal and Sims connected on a 3-pointer on consecutive possessions.

“We needed halftime to calm us down a little bit and remind us what we were trying to do and let us get over the frustration that we faced,” Sallee said. “The second half you saw a lot more aggressive basketball team, one that was going out to win the game and not just hoping that the clock would run out with us on top. It was a little bit of a tale of two halves.”

UT Martin led by as many as three points in the first half after a 10-0 run. But the Panthers counterpunched with an 8-0 surge, Nixon accounting for seven of the eight points. The Skyhawks cut the lead to one by scoring the final four points of the first half.

Eastern has won 18 of its last 19 games and could match last season's win total (24) with a victory Saturday. A win Saturday would also send EIU to its first NCAA Tournament since 1988.