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CHARLESTON, Ill. – Eastern Illinois had four players score in double figures on Thursday night as the Panthers powered past UT Martin, 69-56, to win their second straight Ohio Valley Conference game. 

EIU improved to 5-16, 2-6 in the OVC.  UTM fell to 4-16, 1-7 in the OVC.  The Panthers will host Southeast Missouri on Saturday with the game serving as Kid's Day and Coaches vs. Cancer Day. 

EIU jumped out to a 13-2 lead with Morris Woods scoring six points on lay-ups and Josh Piper adding five early points.  Austin Akers capped the run with a lay-up at 13:56. 

The Panthers would hit a scoring draught in the next five minutes as UTM rallied to take a 17-15 lead at the 8:18 mark as Mike Liabo drained a 3-pointer from the top of the key. 

Both teams traded the lead over the remainder of the half.  Malcolm Herron hit a 3-pointer to put EIU up 27-26 with 2:06 left.  UTM answered with back-to-back 3-pointers by Terence Smith and Bobby Jones to lead 32-27 at the half.  Herron had 13 points for EIU while Smith scored 13 for the Skyhawks.

Myles Taylor extended the Skyhawks lead to eight points with a 3-pointer to open the half and had UTM up 38-30 with a jumper in the paint. Taylor led all players with 21 points.

After shooting 52 percent from the floor in the opening half EIU continued that hot shooting in the second half as the Panthers were 12-of-23 from the floor in both halves finishing the game at 52 percent.

Alex Austin hit a 3-pointer to start an 8-0 EIU run.  Woods scored on a driving lay-up to tie the game at 38-38 with 15:37 left.  Woods finished with his first career double-double scoring 15 points to go with 11 rebounds. 

Sherman Blanford broke the final tie of the game with a lay-up with 12:33 remaining and EIU pushed the margin to 51-43 on a three point play by Blanford.  The junior forward had 15 points and seven rebounds.

Taylor closed the EIU lead to four points with 4:59 left to play but the Skyhawks would get no closer.  EIU scored its final ten points of the game at the free throw line finishing 14-of-20 from the stripe.

EIU won the battle on the glass by a 37-26 margin, the second straight game that EIU has held a double digit rebound margin over its opponent.  Piper closed out the EIU scoring with ten points.

UTM shot 30 percent in the second half and 39 percent for the game.