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JACKSONVILLE – Ohio Valley Conference leader Eastern Illinois was too much for Jacksonville State as the Panthers downed JSU, 71-56, on Saturday afternoon at Pete Mathews Coliseum.

With the win, EIU remained the lone unbeaten team on the OVC and extended its winning streak to nine games with the 15-point victory over Jax State.  The Gamecocks dropped their third consecutive game and fell to 4-18 on the season and 1-8 in conference play.

The Panthers showed why they are the current OVC front runner in the first 13 minutes of the second half as they opened the final 20 minutes with a 23-9 scoring run to push an 11-point, 35-24 halftime lead, out to its largest lead of 25 points at 58-33 at the 7:35 mark of the final period.  EIU's scoring spurt was keyed on the defensive end as it forced 11 of JSU's 20 turnovers in the second half, which led to 16 total points off of turnovers in the contest.  EIU connected on 41 percent from the field in the game thanks to a 48 percent first half shooting mark.  The Panthers also drained nine 3-pointers and were 16-of-24 from the free throw line.

In the battle of the top-two rebounding teams in the OVC, EIU edged JSU on the boards by a 42-36 margin.  It marks just the second time this season in league play that the Gamecocks have been out-rebounded by the opposition and it snapped a five-game streak in which the Red and White won the boards.

The contest remained within single digits throughout the first half until the final four minutes after EIU's Ta'Kenya Nixon drove the lane for an easy lay up to give the Panthers an 11-point, 28-17 lead.  JSU's lone lead in the contest came early in the contest after Miranda Cantrell hit a basket with 15 minutes left in the opening half at 7-5.

EIU's depth inside gave the Gamecocks fits all game as Sydney Mitchell and Chantelle Pressley combined for 26 points.  Mitchell led all scorers with 14 points in 26 minutes of activity.  Pressley finished with 12 points with eight of her points coming at the charity stripe.  JSU limited EIU;s leading scorer, Nixon, to seven points under her average, but the junior guard contributed in other ways with five assists and five steals.  Mariah King entered the game averaging 13.5 points per game and she was held to just five points.  Katlyn Payne came off the bench for nine points.

JSU had two players reach double figures in the scoring column, led by senior Destiny Lane.  The Ashville, Ala.-native turned in 11 points and three assists.  Lane also pulled down three boards and a pair of steals.  Freshman Candace Morton, who came into the contest averaging ten points in OVC play, reached her mark with ten points.  Junior Danielle Vaughn was two points shy of a double-double with eight points and a game-high 14 rebounds, 11 coming on the defensive end of the floor.  Junior guard Amanda McCarthy sparked the JSU offense off the bench with nine points, all from behind the three-point arc.  Jax State's leading scorer, Briana Morrow, was limited to four second half points after being hindered by foul trouble.

JSU returns to OVC action on Monday evening as it welcomes OVC newcomer SIU Edwardsville to Pete Mathews Coliseum.  Tip off is set for 7:45 p.m. as it will follow the Jax State men's 5:15 p.m. contest with USC Upstate.