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CHARLESTON, Ill. – Three Eastern Illinois players scored in double figures on Saturday but the Panthers (3-8) were unable to overcome a 59 percent shooting night by Toledo as the Rockets picked up a 67-59 victory in Lantz Arena.  Toledo improved to 3-6.

The Rockets led from start to finish as they opened the game on a 7-0 run with Dominique Buckley starting the game with one of his three 3-pointers on the night.  A 3-pointer by Reese Holliday with 13:45 to go in the first put Toledo up 16-7. 

EIU answered with an 8-0 run that included 3-pointers by Alex Austin and Josh Piper as they trailed 16-15 with 10:08 left.  Piper drained another 3-pointer with 9 minutes left as EIU again climbed to within one point.  The Panthers made only six shots in the first half with five of them coming from 3-point range as they trailed 26-21 at the break.  Piper had 11 of his 17 points in the first half knocking down three 3-pointers.

After shooting 53 percent in the first half, Toledo knocked down 64 percent from the floor in the second half as they pushed the lead to 13 points with 14:47 left to play on a jumper by Matt Smith.  The Rockets were able to maintain an eight to ten point lead until the final four minutes.

Austin hit a pair of free throws to bring EIU to within five points at 58-53 with 3:57 left to play.  Buckley answered with a jumper followed by a Julius Brown jumper to push Toledo's lead back to nine points with 2:10 remaining.

3-pointers by Taylor Jones and Piper in the next 45 seconds closed the Rockets lead to 63-59 with 1:25 left.  Rian Pearson closed out his 22 point night on the next possession responding for Toledo with a jumper.  Buckley sank two free throws in the final two seconds to account for the final score as he had 13 points.

Austin scored a career high 21 points with four 3-pointers.  Sherman Blanford had ten points.

EIU is off next week for final exams on campus.  They return to action on Wednesday, Dec. 19 with a 7 p.m. game at Saint Louis televised on Fox Sports Midwest.