Box Score

BOX (PDF) | BOX (HTML) | Photo Gallery by Sandy King

CHARLESTON, Ill. – Morehead State went 17-for-18 from the foul line in the final five minutes of play to defeat the Panther men's basketball team, 85-77, on Saturday afternoon inside Lantz Arena. EIU falls to 4-10 (1-2 OVC).

Tied at 62 with 4:52 left in the game, the Eagles (11-6, 2-0 OVC) made the most of their opportunities at the foul line as they hit 14 in a row to build a seven-point lead (82-75) with 40 seconds left on the clock. Morehead State hit three of its final four free throws for the 85-77 victory.

All told, the Eagles went 34-for-47 from the charity stripe, including a 28-for-32 mark in the second stanza. EIU finished the contest knocking down 68 percent of its free throws (17-for-25).

The first half saw four lead changes and two ties as the two schools were knotted at 31 heading into intermission. The Panthers hit their first five shots in the game for the second consecutive contest, building an 11-2 advantage with 17:02 on the clock – their largest lead of the game.

Turnovers would prove costly for the second time in as many games as the Panthers tied their season high with 21 miscues that turned into 25 Morehead State points. EIU scored 13 points off of 13 Morehead State turnovers in the loss.

Reggie Smith scored a game-high 20 points as the junior guard went 8-for-15 from the floor. Chris Olivier added 19 points while Sherman Blanford chipped in 13 points. Dylan Chatman had nine points and dished out a game-high five assists.

Morehead State held a 42-39 advantage on the glass, led by the nation's No. 2 rebounder in Chad Posthumus who grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds. Blanford led the Panthers on the glass with seven rebounds. Olivier added six rebounds and four of the Panthers eight blocks on the night.

Posthumus also led five Eagles in double figures with 19 points. Kareem Storey added 14 points with a 12-for-12 mark from the foul line while Angelo Warner added 13 points and three steals.

Morehead State finished the contest hitting 42.2 percent of its shot attempts (25-for-59) while EIU went 28-for-65 from the floor. The Eagles went 1-for-12 from behind the arc and the Panthers went 4-for-18.

The Eagles had six more second-chance points (16-10) and 24 more bench points (35-11). Both teams scored 44 points in the paint.

The Panthers return to action at Tennessee Tech on Jan. 9.