EIU Women Beat Florida A&M

The Eastern Illinois basketball team leaves Florida with a win, downing Florida A&M 66-50 Tuesday evening. With the win the Panthers improve to 3-2 on the year matching their win total from last season while the Rattlers fall to 0-3.

Jalisha Smith finished the game earning her first career double-double with 19 points and 17 rebounds to set new career highs in both categories.

Two more Panthers finished the game in double figures as Allison Van Dyke earned her fifth straight game scoring in double-digits with 10 points and earning a career high nine rebounds.

EIU finished the game out-rebounding the Rattlers 55-38.

Van Dyke opened the game with back-to-back layups allowing the Panthers to jump out to a 4-0 lead at the 6:25 mark.

The Panthers closed out the first period of play leading Florida A&M 16-8.

Florida A&M managed to tie the game up in the second period opening the quarter on a 7-2 run to make it 16-16 following a layup from Kennedy Burks at the 7:44 mark.

Carmen Tellez regained the lead for the Panthers sinking back-to-back three pointers to bring the score to 24-18 with 4:26 left in the half. Tellez was lights out in the second period going 3-for-3 from beyond the three point line to earn all nine of her game points in the quarter.

Van Dyke closed out the first half snagging a rebound and sinking a layup as the halftime buzzer sounded to make it 35-22 at the end of the first half.

EIU finished the first half shooting 45 percent from the floor compared to 33 percent from the Rattlers.

FAMU picked up the tempo in the third period with the full court pressure forcing seven Panther turnovers and earning six steals in the quarter. The Rattlers cut into EIU's lead with a 14-2 run to bring FAMU within three points to make it 39-36 with 2:56 left in the quarter.

Erica Brown finally snapped the FAMU run with a jumper to kick off an 8-2 run for EIU to close out the period and head into the fourth quarter leading 47-38. Brown finished the game with 11 points, three rebounds, and two blocks.

Smith provided a massive spark for EIU in the second half closing out the third period with 6 rebounds and 6 points to send the Panthers into the fourth quarter leading 47-38.

The Chicago, Ill. native continued to put the team on her back in the second half opening the fourth quarter on her own 10-0 run to make it 57-36 with 7:01 left in the fourth quarter. Smith recorded 16 points and 12 rebounds in the second half.

The Panthers excelled at the free throw line sinking 10 buckets from the charity stripe in the final quarter to secure the 66-50 win. EIU finished the game going 19-27 from the free throw line.

Florida A&M had two players score in double-figures led by Shakerrya Morrison with 11 points.

Jennifer Nehls earned her first career start finishing the game with three rebounds.

The Panthers return to Charleston this Saturday as they host Illinois-Springfield at 1 pm.