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CHARLESTON, Ill. -Â Eastern Illinois women's basketball fell 76-67 to Valparaiso Monday afternoon. Four players scored in double-figures for the Panthers as they collected their sixth straight loss. EIU fell to 1-8 on the season. Valparaiso improved to 6-4.
Carmen Tellez was the Panthers leading scorer putting up a season-high 16 points. Tellez shot perfect from the three-point range in the third quarter scoring nine of her 16 points. She hit back-to-back from behind the arc in the first minute of the quarter to bring the Panthers within one, but the Crusaders held on to their lead. Tellez finished the game with four rebounds and three assists.
Danielle Berry posted career-highs with 13 points and four assists. EIU out-rebounded the Crusaders 39-36 behind seven rebounds from Berry and Jennifer Nehls. Nehls added 12 points and had four offensive boards. Taylor Steele scored a career-high 12 points on 4-of-10 from the field, and she also grabbed a career-high five boards for the Panthers.
The Panthers shot 36.2 percent from the field while Valparaiso connected on 42.1 percent of their shots. Dani Franklin had game-highs of 28 points and eight rebounds. Grace Hales and Maya Meredith also scored in double-figures for the Crusaders with 13 and 11 points, respectively.Â
EIU will return home Wednesday Dec. 20 for a 6 p.m. tip-off vs. North Texas.