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MARTIN, Tenn. – Five Eastern Illinois players scored in double figures as the Panthers rode a 65 percent night shooting to a 93-65 road win at UT Martin.  With the win EIU sweeps the season series over UTM, marking the sixth straight year that one school has swept the season series.

EIU improved to 7-17 overall, 4-7 in the OVC.  UTM fell to 6-17, 3-8 in the OVC.

After going 1-of-17 from 3-point range last Saturday at SIU Edwardsville, EIU lit up the nets from 3-point range in the first half at UTM going 9-of-12.

Austin Akers began the hot shooting at 15:15 which put the Panthers up 7-5 after Myles Taylor had scored the Skyhawks first five points.  Akers would get another 3-pointer to drop in with 48 seconds left that gave EIU the 43-34 lead.

In between the Akers 3's, Malcolm Herron and Alex Austin had the hot hand for EIU shooting 3-pointers.  Herron had back-to-back 3-pointers around the 8-minute media timeout with his shot at 7:06 putting EIU up 11 points at 31-20.

Justin Childs spearheaded a 10-0 UTM run hitting three free throws, a jumper and a 3-pointer as the Skyhawks trimmed the margin to 31-30 at 4:24.  Austin answered for EIU with back-to-back 3-pointers as EIU closed the half on a 12-4 run.

The Skyhawks opened the second half with a 7-2 run as Mike Liabo's 3-pointer with 18:16 to play cut the margin to four points at 45-41.  Akers answered for EIU as he finished with 13 points, eight assists and seven rebounds.  Akers was 3-of-4 from 3-point range including a banked-in shot from the left hand corner.

Taylor Jones and Cameron Harvey added to the Panthers hot 3-point shooting night as the Panthers pushed the lead back to double digits on Harvey's 3-pointer at 16:37.  EIU finished shooting 12-of-19 from 3-point range for 63 percent.

Liabo cut the lead back to single digits just prior to the 16-minute time out as he had 10 points for UTM.  Taylor led the Skyhawks with 19 and Terrence Smith had 11. 

Morris Woods put EIU back up 12 points at 14:45 and the Panthers pulled away.  Woods had a team high 18 points.  Austin had 16 and Herron 14 going 4-of-5 on 3-pointers.  Blanford had his third double-double of the year with 12 points, 10 rebounds.

EIU out rebounded its opponent for the fifth straight game as EIU has won four of its last five.  EIU had a 27-23 rebound margin.   EIU returns to action on Saturday night at Southeast Missouri with a 5:30 p.m. start.