Taryn Olson’s was one of five different players on the Eastern women’s basketball team to score double-digit points in Monday’s 80-74 win over Murray State.

Olson started the game, scoring Eastern’s first seven points and finished the game with 10, which provided a spark to the Panthers’ offense.

Monday was the first time all year that Olson has scored in double-digits. She made 4-of-5 field-goal attempts and was 2-of-3 from the free-throw line. She also corralled six rebounds.

Eastern coach Debbie Black said Olson set the tone for the team for the rest of the game.

“We’ve said to her directly at practice during film work that ‘teams are going to lay off you, you have to look for the shot, if you don’t like the shot, then attack the basket,’” Black said. “She went out, established it early, and kind of set the tone for us.”

In Monday’s games the teams combined for 47 points in the first half and 107 points in the second half.

In the first five minutes of the second half, the Panthers converted on their first seven shots and Murray State only missed one of its first 10 attempts, which included going 4-of-4 from the 3-point line.

Black said she was disappointed in her team giving up 55 points in the second half, but enjoyed her team staying with Murray State throughout the final twenty minutes of play.

“If we can stay with them and compete, I guess that it is a good thing,” Black said. “We have to learn to lockdown and play better defense.”

The Panthers currently rank second in the Ohio Valley Conference in free-throw percentage and Monday’s game saw Eastern shoot 85 percent from the line, which included 24-of-27 in the second half.

Around the OVC

Tennessee-Martin senior guard Heather Butler became the conferences all-time leading scorer, putting up 26 points in Saturday’s win over Morehead State.

She passed the mark of Tennessee Tech’s Cheryl Taylor, who scored 2,526 career points, which was set in 1987.

The Skyhawks sit in first place in the OVC West Division with a 7-0 conference record.

Also picking up a win over the weekend was Southern Illinois -Edwardsville after freshman Alexis Chappell hit four free throws in the final 13 seconds of Saturday’s game to give the Cougars the victory over Murray State.

Jacksonville State, Morehead State and Tennessee-Martin all won their games on Monday.

The Panthers currently rank third in the OVC West Division, 3.5 games behind the Skyhawks.

Eastern has two games against Tennessee-Martin.

Bob Reynolds can be reached at 581-2812 or rjreynolds@eiu.edu