CHARLESTON, Ill. - A big Eastern Illinois run put Austin Peay State University women's basketball team behind in the first half, and a second-half scoring drought finished the Lady Govs off in an 88-59 defeat at Lantz Arena, Monday.

Austin Peay's (7-18, 2-11 OVC) defensive prowess against SIU Edwardsville - where the Lady Govs held the Cougars to 25 percent shooting - was but a memory against Eastern Illinois (18-8, 11-2 OVC). The Panthers shot 45.5 percent for the game, dropping Austin Peay to 1-9 this season when the Lady Govs have allowed OVC opponents to shoot above 40 percent from the field.

Austin Peay's defense was sharp again in the early going against the Panthers. Austin Peay forced eight Eastern Illinois turnovers in the game's first 10 minutes, with freshmen Tiasha Gray and Alexis Hardaway each coming up with two steals in the game's opening minutes. Austin Peay finished with a season-high 17 steals.

The Lady Govs clawed out to an 18-14 advantage in the first half, but Eastern Illinois closed the half with a huge 22-7 run to blow the game open. Austin Peay's defense couldn't contain Panther guard Ta'Kenya Nixon, who was perfect from the field (6-for-6) in the first half - she led all scorers with 18 points in the game.

Austin Peay's biggest first-half trouble came on the glass, where a taller Panther squad punished the Lady Govs four-guard lineup, gaining a 31-12 advantage in the opening 20 minutes. Eastern Illinois sophomore Sabina Oroszova nearly equaled the Lady Govs rebounding total by herself, pulling down 11 first-half boards. Eastern Illinois finished the game with more than twice as many rebounds as Austin Peay, with a 55-27 advantage.

While the Lady Govs limited Eastern Illinois' shooting in the first half, they would have no such luck in the second. The Panthers shot 56.3 percent (18-for-32) from the field in the second half, including a 50 percent mark from beyond the three-point line.

Any chance the Lady Govs had of making a comeback in the second half were dashed by a prolonged shooting drought. Austin Peay went more than seven minutes in the second half without a field goal before a Leslie Martinez three-pointer at the 7:10 mark.

Gray led the Lady Govs with 14 points, while Hill came off the bench to add 13. Nicole Olszewski added 11 points, while Shira Buley tied a career high with 10.

The Lady Govs close out the road portion of the 2012-13 schedule when they face Eastern Kentucky for a 3 p.m., Saturday, contest in Richmond.