ST. CHARLES, MO. - The Lindenwood women's basketball team lost in a close 62-75 defeat in their conference opener against the Eastern Illinois Panthers on Thursday evening in Charleston, Illinois.

"We played hard & scrappy," said Head Coach Katie Falco. "This was our second game in a row where we won the offensive rebounding battle! We had some good individual offensive performances which was encouraging. As a team, we need to do the little things better to be consistent."

GAME OVERVIEW
The Lions got out to a strong start in their first OVC matchup, keeping things at a 14-14 tie to end the first quarter, sending a message to the hosting top-dogs of the conference. 

The Panthers were able to start breaking away from Lindenwood in the second quarter, however, putting on a bit more offensive pressure to gain a 34-27 lead heading into halftime. Devin Fuhring was the leading scorer for the Lions at the conclusion of the first half, knocking down 12 total points to be the first Lion in double figures for the night. Mary McGrath had a strong first half as well, tallying nine total points and five rebounds to lead Lindenwood defensively. 

Eastern Illinois looked to keep running up the score in the third, using their lead to keep propelling them forward offensively. The Lions didn't go down without a fight, however, holding things to a narrow 44-54 score heading into the final quarter of play. Emily Benzschawel finally started to heat up as well, hitting an impressive 10 points during that third quarter. The senior out of Monroe, Wisconsin boasted a 4-5 from the floor and a perfect 2-2 from behind the three-point line, as well as grabbing two rebounds for the Lions. 

The Lions kept fighting until the final whistle blew, but the fourth quarter was truly a game of momentum as Eastern Illinois was able to extend their lead by shooting 57.1% from the floor and 42.9% from three point land as a team. The Lions shot well from behind the free throw line, knocking down 6-8 of their attempts in the fourth, but were edged in both the field goal and three point categories. 

Fuhring and McGrath would share the top spot on the leaderboard with 18 points a piece, while Benzschawel was the third and final Lion in double figures for the night with her 12 total points. McGrath was the leading rebounder for the Lions as well, finishing with eight total rebounds, while Brooke Woodyard would go on to post the next highest amount with five total. Makayla Wallace tallied the most steals for Lindenwood with two on the night, while Alana Striverson and Fuhring each contributed a team-leading three assists. 

GAME LEADERS
Mary McGrath - 18 P, 8 RB, 1 A, 1 ST, 1 B
Devin Fuhring - 18 P,  2 RB, 3 A
Emily Benzschawel - 12 P,  3 RB, 2 A
Brooke Woodyard - 6 P, 5 RB, 1 A, 1 B

UP NEXT
The Lions will return to Hyland Arena on Saturday for a New Year's Eve matchup against the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles at 1:00 p.m.