Weekend Panther Sports Highlights: Key Moments You Might Have Missed!

Over the weekend, Eastern had a busy schedule filled with thrilling sports events. Let’s dive into the highlights.

Women’s Basketball

The women’s basketball team is on fire! They marked their eighth conference win, making their overall record 11-6 and leading the Ohio Valley Conference with an impressive 8-0. They defeated Tennessee State 67-54 on Saturday in Nashville.

Senior guard Kiyley Flowers made headlines with a standout performance, scoring eight consecutive points in the third quarter. With this game, she extended her remarkable streak to 53 games with at least one steal.

Senior forward Macy McGlone achieved her 40th career double-double, contributing 23 points and grabbing 16 rebounds. Senior guard Alex Rouse added 10 points to the scoreboard.

Next up, the Panthers will face Morehead State at home this Thursday, with the game starting at 5 p.m.

Men’s Basketball

On the men’s side, Eastern faced a tough battle against Tennessee State, losing 84-65. Junior guard Zion Fruster led the team with 18 points, shooting two for five from three-point range. Graduate forward Kooper Jacobi logged his seventh double-double of the season, gathering 14 points and 13 rebounds.

Graduate guard Artese Stapleton also contributed 14 points. The Panthers fell to 5-13 overall and 1-6 in the OVC. They will aim to bounce back against Morehead State this Thursday, with tip-off at 8 p.m. on ESPNU.

Track & Field

The Panthers kicked off their indoor season at the John Craft meet, where they showcased their talents. Eight athletes claimed first place. Graduate thrower Matthew Gladieux excelled, winning both the weight throw with a toss of 17.93m and the shot put at 16.50m.

In jumping events, graduate athlete Ramsey Hunt leaped 7.60m in the long jump. Freshman Enoch Appiah-Kubi impressively triple jumped 13.60m.

In addition, senior athlete Elijah Skutt cleared 2.05m in the high jump.

Sophomore sprinter Abby Venhaus won the 200m with a time of 26.55 seconds. Graduate sprinter Jahleel Perrin finished first in the 60m, clocking in at 22.51 seconds. Distance runners Brenda Torres and Joseph Stoddard also bagged top spots in their races.

This Friday, the Panthers will head to Champaign for the Illini Invite.

Women’s Tennis

The women’s tennis team opened their season with a 6-1 defeat against North Dakota. Freshman Ornella Lomenzo secured a win in singles, beating Jule Schulte 6-3, 6-2. Charleigh Fay pushed her match to a close second set, but ultimately lost.

The team will face Northern Illinois this Saturday at 1 p.m.

Men’s Tennis

Eastern’s men’s tennis team dropped their match 6-1 against Illinois State. They initially found success by winning the doubles point with solid performances from Alex Aldaz and Pieke Bouman.

Despite the strong start, the Panthers fell to 0-3 this season after their previous losses at Texas Tech.