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CHARLESTON, Ill. – Southeast Missouri swept the season series from Eastern Illinois behind a strong shooting performance on Saturday night in Charleston. The Redhawks (6-17, 5-8 OVC) shot 52 percent from the field to pick up a 70-64 win over the Panthers (8-14, 4-8 OVC).

SEMO built its lead to eight points at the 12:35 mark of the first half as Lucas Nutt knocked down the first of his three 3-pointers on the night. Nutt would drain another 3-pointer at the 9:16 mark to lift SEMO to a 24-14 lead.

The Redhawks held the lead at double digits until the 5:26 mark of the first half when EIU closed with a 12-4 run behind six points by Jeremy Granger. Granger would lead all players with 29 points hitting 10-of-18 from the field.

Leading 36-32 at the half SEMO quickly pushed the lead back to eight points as Marland Smith hit a 3-pointer and Leon Powell scored two of his team high 28 points. Powell finished 9-of-10 from the field and 10-of-12 from the free throw line. SEMO shot 18-of-25 from the charity stripe as a team.

Granger sank a 3-pointer at the 16:05 mark to close the margin back to five at 42-37 and Zavier Sanders trimmed it to three with a put-back lay-up with 15:22 to play. Powell then scored seven of the next nine Redhawks points to put SEMO up 51-41 with 12:36 remaining.

The Panthers would close the gap to six points on two occasions and Granger's jumper with 11 seconds left cut SEMO's lead to four points. Nutt than sank a pair of free throws to ice the game as he finished with 15. Smith would also finish in double figures for SEMO with 12.

James Hollowell was the only other Panther to reach double figures finishing with 10. Matt Dorlack led EIU with eight rebounds. EIU will close out its four game home stand on Monday night hosting Murray State.