Three-point shots were huge boosters for the Eastern women’s basketball team Friday in its 77-70 win over Indiana State. The game marked the team’s first exhibition game of the year and was played to raise money for hurricane relief.

The pivotal shots from beyond the arc sailed out of the hands of not one but five Panthers, earning the team 13 made a 3-pointer to the Sycamores’ five. Junior guard Carmen Tellez had a game-high five 3-pointers. Tellez earned a total of 17 points for Eastern and earned two rebounds in her 31 minutes of game play.

Tellez started the game on a high note, landing a 3-pointer for Eastern’s first points of the game. She repeated this kind of start in the third quarter to put the Panthers up 38-37 after a tied up score at halftime.

Senior guard Grace Lennox added her four 3-pointers to the mix and two of the four sealed the win for the Panthers. Lennox dropped two shots from beyond the arc in the last minutes of the fourth quarter to push Eastern to 75 points to Indiana State’s 66, despite Indiana State’s full court pressure on defense.

Junior forward Halle Stull, freshman guard Taylor Steele and freshman forward Grace McRae each contributed to the 3-point tally as well. Stull made two while Steele and McRae dropped one each in the bucket.

Only three Sycamores managed to notch a 3-pointer on the night. Guard Ashli O’Neal led her team with three; forwards Ashley Taia and A.J. Thomas each had one.

Another aspect of the game that pushed the Panthers to a victory was shutting down Indiana State’s forward Wendi Bibbins in the second half. Bibbins was projected as a top player for Indiana State coming into the game.

Bibbins still scored 19 points on the Panthers because of a strong first half, but strong defense from sophomore Jennifer Nehls. Eastern coach Matt Bollant said Nehls is an intense player, and it pays off.

Bollant said the Panthers did a better job of shutting down Bibbins in the second half. Bibbins was 6-9 in the first half and he said if she had the same looks in the later part of the game, Bibbins could have made her shots.

Bollant credited Bibbins’ limited scoring to a team collaboration in double-teaming Bibbins to keep her from putting the ball to the glass. She was also the Sycamore’s rebound leader at 11.

Eastern hosts another exhibition game against Rose-Hulman on Monday at 5:15 p.m. Regular season play starts Nov. 10 in Lantz Arena where the Panthers host Northern Illinois at 6 p.m.

Kaitlin Cordes can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected]