Indiana Takes 96-80 Win over Illinois, Area College Roundup

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Published on January 9 2017 1:31 pm
Last Updated on January 9 2017 1:31 pm
Written by Millie Lange

By Associated Press

The Indiana Hoosiers calmed their fans by sending them into a frenzy.

James Blackmon Jr. scored 25 points, Thomas Bryant added 20, and No. 25 Indiana snapped a three-game losing streak with a 96-80 victory over Illinois on Saturday night

Indiana (11-5, 1-2 Big Ten) had lost three straight and four of six games. The win was reassuring in many ways - not only for Indiana, but for its fans. What was a blowout for most of the game served as a reminder that the Hoosiers are still capable of playing like the team that knocked off then-No.3 Kansas and then-No.3 North Carolina.

From start-to-finish, the Hoosiers were energized, hungry and focused, ultimately making them dominant.

Illinois (11-5, 1-2) was scoreless in the first six minutes as the Hoosiers raced to a 13-0 lead. Illinois turned the ball over seven times in the first half, leading to 15 points for Indiana.

Indiana led for the entire game, leading by as many as 22 points. Illinois pulled within 10 points of the Hoosiers with less than five minutes remaining, but Indiana stretched its lead once and for all, securing the win.

Jalen Coleman-Lands and Malcolm Hill scored 21 points each for Illinois, and Maverick Morgan had 18.


EIU 74, Eastern Kentucky 60

Eastern Illinois had five players score in double figures and finished with a rebound advantage as the Panthers picked up a 74-60 road win at Eastern Kentucky on Saturday afternoon.

EIU improved to 9-7 overall, 1-2 in the OVC.  EKU dropped to 8-10 overall, 1-2 in the OVC.

EIU opened the second half with a 10-0 run as the Panthers pushed their second half lead to 14 points before EKU scored its first basket of the half. The basket was credited to DeAndre Dishman after a Muusa Dama goaltending call 5:41 into the second half.

Dama would help the Panthers win the battle on the glass pulling down 12 rebounds as EIU finished with a 42-36 rebound margin.

After EKU cut the Panthers lead to seven points with 11:57 to play on an Asante Gist lay-up, EIU answered with a 9-0 run.  During the run EIU had six straight points at the free throw line by Montell Goodwin.  Goodwin finished with a team high 17 points and six assists.

Eastern Illinois was solid on the glass in the first half holding a 24-16 rebounding margin.  Ray Crossland pulled down eight first half rebounds finishing with nine.  EIU converted that rebounding margin into an advantage in second chance points.  Crossland just missed a double-double with 11 points.

The two teams had ten lead changes in the first half and four ties.  EIU led 31-27 at the half as the Panthers closed the half with a 5-0 run as Demetrius McReynolds drained a 3-pointer from the corner and jumper at the elbow.    McReynolds had 12 points.

Cornell Johnston and Casey Teson rounded out the double figure scorers for EIU.  Johnston had 14 points, Teson finished with 10.

Gist led all players with 20 points.  Nick Mayo added 17 points but was limited to just 5-of-16 shooting from the field.


Morehead State 73, SIUE 65

Morehead State outlasted SIUE men's basketball 73-65 Saturday, sending the Cougars to their third consecutive loss.

The Cougars are 5-12 overall and 0-3 in the Ohio Valley Conference. Morehead State has won three of its last four games and is 6-10 overall and 2-1 in the OVC.

SIUE opened an early lead and stretched the advantage to nine (16-7) after a free throw by Carlos Anderson with 13:31 to play in the half. The Eagles then went on a 12-1 run to take a 19-17 lead.

"We started turning the ball over, they made a little run at us," SIUE Head Coach Jon Harris said.

After trading leads several more times, SIUE scored the final six points of the half and carried a 36-31 lead into halftime. The Cougars shot 50 percent (12-24) from the field in the half.

SIUE extended its lead to 37-31 on a Jalen Henry free throw just 30 seconds into the second period, but Morehead State had another double-digit run in it. A three-pointer from Xavier Moon with 17:31 to play capped a 10-point run which put MSU in the lead for good. The Cougars never got any closer than two points the rest of the game.


Eastern Kentucky 88, EIU Women 85 (OT)

The Eastern Illinois women's basketball team fell in a hard fought battle to Eastern Kentucky 88-85 in overtime Saturday afternoon. Following the loss EIU drops to 5-11 overall and 1-3 in the OVC while EKU improves to 6-10 and 3-0 in the conference.

Grace Lennox finished the game leading all scorers and setting a new career high with 35 points while adding eight assists, five rebounds, and five steals. Lennox's 35 points marks the first time an EIU player has scored 30 or more points since Sabina Oroszova set the school record with 38 points at Bradley in 2013.

Four Panthers finished the game in double-figures with Erica Brown recording her ninth career double-double earning 18 points and 12 rebounds. Brown also becomes the 15th member of EIU's 600 career rebound club following the game.

Both teams went back-and-forth throughout the game with 14 ties and 14 lead changes in the game as Jalen O'Bannon made a layup with 29 seconds left in regulation to tie the game 69-69 and send it into overtime.

EIU and Eastern Kentucky traded buckets to open the extra period as O'Bannon appeared to match the Panthers shot-for-shot scoring 14 of EKU's 19 points in overtime. EKU managed to gain a four-point lead sinking four straight free throws to make it 80-76 with 1:19 to go.

The Panthers continued to push the tempo in the final minute of overtime, getting within one point thanks to a three-pointer from Lennox with four seconds left to make it 86-85. There would not be enough time to complete the comeback for the Panthers though as two final free throws from EKU solidified the 88-85 win.

EIU finished the game shooting 45.8 percent and out-rebounding the Colonels 44-32.