Eastern head coach Brady Sallee thought the time was right for the Panthers to beat a team like Missouri, from the Big 12.

All of the Missouri players are basically freshmen, as they are all new to head coach Robin Pingeton’s system, the first-year coach, Sallee said.

In the past, Sallee said Eastern has had Illinois come to Lantz Arena; however, he said the Eastern teams that played Illinois weren’t ready to win the game.

“I thought this year we had a team that was ready,” Sallee said.

Sallee said the win was a breakthrough for the program; however, he said he wants his team to think of this game less as an upset and more as a game they should beat.

Sallee said the Panthers’ preseason schedule might have helped against Missouri.

The Panthers played Illinois and Loyola-Chicago in the preseason to prepare for this game.

“We weren’t surprised by their size and athleticism,” Sallee said.

Sallee said the Panthers were the hardest working team on the court Sunday.

“They went on a great run and tied the game and we had great resolve to answer the bell and finish it the way we did,” Sallee said.

Pressley answers the call

Sallee and junior forward Chantelle Pressley talked on the phone Saturday night for about 20-30 minutes, according the Sallee, about how Pressley played in Friday’s loss to Western Michigan.

“I know she wasn’t happy about it,” Sallee said. “She answered the bell.”

Pressley scored 18 points Sunday, with five rebounds and three blocks. Friday, Pressley scored seven points.

Free throws key in win

The Panthers were 23-of-30 from the free throw line Sunday, compared to the Tigers, who were 13-of-18.

Sallee said the fact that the Panthers made more than the Tigers attempted, was key to the victory.

“In the first half we definitely did that,” Sallee said.

In the first half, Eastern shot 9-of-11 from the free throw line, while the Tigers were 1-of-4.

Half court heave

Sophomore guard Kelsey Wyss made a half court shot with the shot clock running down Sunday, When the game was 49-48 in favor of Eastern.

The Panthers were inbounding the ball under their basket with two seconds on the shot clock. Wyss was the only open player for the Panthers, and she was at the half court line.

She caught the in bounds pass, as the crowd yell, “Shoot!” She shot the ball and it banked off the backboard into the hoop, from half court.

Wyss was 1-of-2 from three-point range. The half court shot was the only three-pointer she made. Wyss scored seven points, had four assists and a team-high three steals Sunday.

Alex McNamee can be reached at 581-7944 or admcnamee@eiu.edu.

Kelsey Wyss, a sophomore guard, drives the ball to the hoop against Mizzou Sunday evening at Lantz Arena. The Panthers beat Mizzou 81-73. (Audrey Sawyer

(more…)