For the third straight game, EIU head coach Marqus McGlothan used a timeout before the team’s first made bucket.  

A 14-0 run to open the game accelerated Lindenwood into a lead that it would never relinquish, as the Panthers lost to Lindenwood 80-43 Thursday evening at Hyland Arena.  

“We weren’t locked in, we weren’t focused, we weren’t disciplined on the things that we practiced doing,” McGlothan said. “That gave up open looks, and then we allowed them to get hot.” 

Redshirt junior forward Sydney-James Desroches broke the Eastern scoring drought to start the game with two of the seven points the Panthers (4-26, 3-16) scored in the opening quarter.  

By the end of the first frame, Lindenwood (23-7, 15-4) had a 24-7 lead.  

The Lions have the best field goal percentage and three-point shooting percentage in the Ohio Valley Conference, and it was on full display. Lindenwood shot 53.6% from the field compared to Eastern’s 32.7.  

The Panthers only made three shots from beyond the arc, compared to the Lions’ 13.  

“It’s hard to guard a team that can already shoot once they get open shots,” McGlothan said.  

Eastern knew going into the game that it was eliminated from OVC tournament contention, but the message to the team, says McGlothan, was to still be competitive and try and play spoiler in the regular season title race between Lindenwood and Western Illinois.  

“We were still going out to win,” McGlothan said. “We didn’t come out here with the expectation that we were going to lose by 40.”  

One of the bright spots for Eastern was redshirt junior center Meioshe Mason, who was one of three Eastern players in double figures with 11 points, joining Desroches’ 10 points and junior guard Ava Stoller’s team-leading 12 points.  

“I liked that Meioshe [Mason] was efficient around the rim,” McGlothan said. “That was a good sign for her. That was my biggest takeaway.”  

Eastern has one more game remaining in the season. The Panthers will take on Southern Illinois Edwardsville on Saturday with tipoff set for 1 p.m. 

Gabe Newman can be reached at 581-2812 or at [email protected].