A strong fourth quarter by junior guard Aaliyah Wells kept the Panthers at bay as the Morehead State women's basketball team snapped a five-game losing streak with an 85-77 victory over Eastern Illinois on Saturday afternoon.
Wells scored 12 of her 13 points in the final quarter, hitting 3-of-3 from the floor and 6-of-8 from the free throw line. She added 11 rebounds, marking her second career double-double.
"Aaliyah didn't have a great first half, but she sure was solid in the second," said Head Coach Greg Todd. "She really willed us through the second half, working the boards, and coming up big offensively. Collectively I thought our entire team played much better in the second half."
MSU (7-12, 1-4) claimed its first Ohio Valley Conference win of the season. EIU (1-17, 0-6) had its losing streak extended to 17 games.
The Eagles turned to two familiar names in the early going. Senior guard Natalie Greenwell connected on four three-point baskets in the first quarter, giving her 12 quick points and finishing with 17 on the day. Junior forward Shay Steele scored a game-high 19 points, going 5-of-5 from the free-throw line, and grabbed six rebounds.
At the half, the Eagles and Panthers had played to five lead changes and one tie. The third quarter proved to be the deciding period for MSU. With the game tied at 51, the Eagles pulled away with a 9-0 run, and led 60-51 with 1:44 left to play in the quarter. Following the run, the Panthers did not get closer than six points the rest of the way.
Sophomore forward Eriel McKee extended her double-digit scoring streak to 23 games, scoring 12 points and snatching six rebounds. Junior guard Brianna McQueen started her second straight game, collecting 16 points, eight rebounds, four assists, while only committing one turnover.
Up next for the Eagles is a three-game homestead at Johnson Arena against Austin Peay, Jacksonville State, and Tennessee Tech. Each team is less than .500 on the season and are a combined 17-35 overall with a 6-8 record in OVC play. APSU provides the opposition first on Wednesday at 6 p.m. ET.
