UT-Martin Beats EIU Men, SIUE Drops Game

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Published on January 24 2014 12:22 pm
Last Updated on January 24 2014 12:22 pm
Written by Millie Lange

MARTIN, Tenn.  – The Panther men’s basketball team dropped an 84-77 contest at UT Martin on Thursday night inside the Elam Center. EIU drops to 6-13 on the year and 3-5 in Ohio Valley Conference action.

Trailing 71-70 with 3:08 left in the game, UT Martin’s Myles Taylor hit his only basket of the night on the ensuing possession to regain a Skyhawk lead the would never relinquish. Taylor, who entered the game averaging 15.9 points per game, finished the game with only two points and a team-high seven rebounds. The Skyhawks (7-15, 2-5 OVC) were able to pull away down the stretch as they hit four of their final five shot attempts while going 7-for-8 from the foul line.

The Panthers hit their first three shots of the second half and five of their first seven attempts to take their largest lead of the game, 47-36, with 16:01 remaining in regulation. EIU held onto the lead until the 9:18 mark as UT Martin rallied back to take a 55-54 advantage on back-to-back free throws by Tobias Dowdell.

EIU started the contest on a 6-2 run before the Skyhawks scored nine unanswered points to take an 11-6 advantage. UT Martin led by as many as eight, 25-17, with 7:37 left in the half before the Panthers used a 15-6 run to regain the lead, 32-31, at the 2:01 mark. EIU hit six of its final seven shot attempts to end the half and take a 37-34 advantage into intermission.

On Saturday, February 1, the EIU Athletic Department and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes will host the 13th Annual HOOPS event at the Lantz Arena. Cost is $2 per person which includes food, FCA program and basketball games versus SIU Edwardsville. The men’s game is 2 p.m. followed by the women’s game at 4:15 p.m. Interested attendees including sponsors/leaders are asked to contact Tom Woodall (217-549-6671 or twoodall@eiu.edu) prior to January 29th.

Food will be served starting at 12 p.m. followed by the FCA program. The following people associated with EIU Athletics will speak during the program: EIU Athletic Director Barbara Burke, EIU baseball coach Jimmy Schmitz, EIU women’s soccer player Emily Hinton, EIU baseball player Tyler Schweigert and EIU cross country runner Riley McInerney. Mike Beresford, a former EIU track athlete and now a school administrator in Indianapolis, will return to lead the music as he has done for many years.

Each year, students, athletes and church group members have attended this special happening.   Advisors/Youth Leaders/Coaches and their young people are invited to attend.


Southeast Missouri Downs SIUE

CAPE GIRARDEAU. Mo. – For the second time in as many road games, SIUE men's basketball had a second half-comeback fall short, falling at Southeast Missouri 82-78 in Ohio Valley Conference basketball at the Show Me Center.

"I thought our guys put forth a great effort," SIUE Head Coach Lennox Forrester said. "What I am disappointed in is that we don't come out and play like we need to play and like we did down the stretch."

Both teams are now 3-4 in the OVC. SIUE fell to 6-14 overall. The Cougars are now 0-9 in road games. SIUE is 1-6 in games decided by five points or less. Southeast Missouri improved to 11-9.

The Cougars got out to a quick start, connecting on their first three attempts from three-point range, and led 9-4 with 17:28 to play in the first half. Southeast Missouri held a 28-24 lead following a pair of Tim Johnson free throws with 8:45 left. The Redhawks then used a 22-1 run over nearly seven minutes to lead 50-25 with 1:58 left before half. The Cougars reeled off the final 10 points of the period and SEMO held a 50-35 lead at the break.