EIU Men Win, Women Lose In Basketball

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.  – The Panther men’s basketball team wrapped up regular-season action with a 78-74 win over SIU Edwardsville on Saturday evening at the Vadalabene Center. EIU improves to 11-18 on the year and 7-9 in Ohio Valley Conference play.

SIUE started the game by hitting four of its first seven shot attempts, taking a 10-0 advantage at the 16:33 mark. The Panthers shook off the cold start and battled back to take their first lead of the game, 25-24, with 3:31 on the clock on a Chris Olivier layup. The redshirt-sophomore forward scored the Panthers final six points of the half as EIU took a 31-26 lead into intermission.

The Cougars started the second half on a 9-4 run to tie the game at 35. SIUE would tie the game at 41 at the 14:19 mark before the Panthers went on a 17-8 run to take their largest lead of the game, 58-49, with 5:59 left on the clock.

EIU led by nine again, 66-57, with 1:10 left in regulation before SIUE fought back to get within four late in the game. The Panthers would seal the victory with free throws down the stretch as they went 14-for-16 from the foul line in the final minute and 10 seconds of regulation. The Panthers finished the game going 31-for-41 from the foul line while SIUE went 9-for-23.

Oliver and Reggie Smith paced the Panther offense with 19 points each. Olivier went 8-for-15 from the floor while Smith went 2-for-5 from the floor and 15-for-17 from the charity stripe.

EIU Women Drop Contest

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – Eastern Illinois women’s basketball lost on Saturday afternoon, 67-58, at SIU Edwardsville.  The Panthers season will continue at the OVC Tournament on Wednesday as the No. 8 seed in the tournament after UT Martin beat Austin Peay.  Game time will be 12 p.m.

SIUE used 17 offensive rebounds to their advantage improving to 11-18, 7-9 in the OVC.  EIU fell to 12-15, 7-9 in the OVC.

After an early basket by EIU to open the game, SIUE built a 13-8 lead with 12:50 to play on a 3-pointer by Jazzmin Hill.  Hill scored 10 of her 12 points in the first half.

EIU cut into the lead on baskets by Sabina Oroszova and Erica Brown.  A Brown jumper with 9:02 to play gave EIU a 14-13 lead.  Brown scored 10 points off the bench, one of four EIU players with double figures.

CoCo Moore and Micah Jones had low post baskets for SIUE and Hill hit a 3-pointer with seven seconds left in the half to give the Cougars a 30-29 halftime lead.

In the second half SIUE turned up the play on the glass as they had 26 rebounds, nine on the offensive glass.  Those offensive rebounds led to a 23-5 advantage for SIUE in second chance points for the contest.

Jones basket at 15:40 put the Cougars up 40-33 as she had a game-high 17 points.  Tierny Austin followed with a basket which put SIUE up nine.

The Panthers answered with an 11-0 run as Jordyne Crunk hit a 3-pointer to close the gap to one point.  Katlyn Payne’s jumper with 11:21 put the Panthers up 43-42.  Crunk was the Panthers top scorer with 16 points.