The UTM women’s basketball team saw its 12-point lead in the third quarter dissipate before having its six-game winning streak come to a halt at Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) foe Eastern Illinois (EIU) on Thursday night by a score of 74-70.
The Skyhawks (10-8, 6-1 OVC) held four double-digit margins in the third quarter but would watch the Panthers continually chip away before ultimately seeing its lead go by the wayside in the fourth quarter – an advantage which they would never retain. Eastern Illinois proved dynamic on offense, shooting nearly 63 percent in the second half while scoring 45 points.
UTM would rely heavily on the junior post duo of Chelsey Perry and Maddie Waldrop as the pair combined to score 51 of the team’s 70 points. Perry notched her fifth 30-point game of the season with 35 points, eight rebounds and two blocks. Waldrop returned to the lineup with 16 points and nine rebounds to pace the Skyhawks.
“Tonight was almost the opposite of the Austin Peay game,” UTM head coach Kevin McMillan said. “We had control of the game. We were up by 12 and simply gave the game away. Give credit to EIU though, they played hard enough to win but we have to grow up. We played awful defense and didn’t execute our game plan. We cannot continue to be satisfied with just being alright. If you don’t bring it every day in this league, you will get beat.”
Eastern Illinois (11-7, 5-2 OVC) featured a balanced and strong offensive attack with five players in double figures. Lariah Washington led the Panthers with 16 points and seven rebounds. The quartet of Abby Wahl (13), Karle Pace (12), Morgan Litwiller (12) and Jordyn Hughes (10) also scored in double-digits.
UTM will return to action with a road matchup at SIUE on Saturday, Jan. 25. Tipoff from the Vadalabene Center is scheduled for 2 p.m.
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