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Kevin Duckworth Recognition Night Photo Gallery
CHARLESTON, Ill. – On a night in which Eastern Illinois recognized former standout Kevin Duckworth it was the Panther big men that stepped up to help in a 63-60 victory over Jacksonville State.
EIU dedicated the Kevin Duckworth Memorial Scholarship at halftime of the game as Duckworth's mother and family members were in attendance. Duckworth who is EIU's career leader in rebounds and blocked shots passed away in August.
Eastern Illinois improved to 10-11 on the year, 7-4 in the OVC. JSU fell to 9-11, 3-8 in the OVC.
The Panthers seemed poised to blow out the Gamecocks as they opened up a 16-5 lead in the first six and a half minutes. All five starters scored in the run with Romain Martin and Tyler Laser each draining 3-pointers.
EIU would keep the margin in double digits most of the first half before Geddes Robinson hit a lay-up with 1:05 left to trim the Panthers halftime lead to 34-25. EIU was 4-of-8 from 3-point range in the first half while shooting 54 percent from the floor.
Jacksonville State opened the second half with a 17-2 run as they posted a 42-36 lead on a 3-pointer by DeAndre Bray. Jonathan Toles and Jeremy Bynum each canned 3's during the Gamecocks run.
Reserve center Matt Dorlack stopped the JSU run with a put back basket at 14:34. He would make another basket on the next possession as EIU cut the lead down to two points.
A pair of free throws by Bynum extended JSU's lead to six points with 8:16 left but Martin hit a 3-pointer and Dorlack added a lay-up and the score was knotted at 53-53 with 6:31 remaining.
The teams would exchange the lead over the next five minutes before Billy Parrish put EIU up for good with a free throw with 1:26 left. Ousmane Cisse would pull in two rebounds in the final minute and sink a pair of free throws to built EIU's lead to three. Cisse finished with 13 rebounds and seven points.
#T.J. Marion# put EIU up five with nine seconds left before Stephen Hall sank a 3-pointer to cut it to 62-60. Parrish made one-of-two at the stripe and Bray's half court heave fell short for the Gamecocks as time expired.
Martin led all players with 19 points while Laser added 13. Bynum had 15 to lead JSU with Toles adding 14 and Robinson 10.
EIU returns to action next Saturday when they host Southeast Missouri at 7 p.m.
