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CHARLESTON, Ill. – Eastern Illinois played its final game as part of the former Bracketbuster series beating Northern Illinois for the fourth time as part of that format as the Panthers held off the Huskies, 59-55, on Saturday night in Lantz Arena. EIU won both games selected as part of the series and both return games moving in front in the all-time series 45-44.
EIU improved to 4-6 on the season and will return to action next Saturday at 1 p.m. at Indiana State. NIU dropped to 3-3 on the year.
LeTrell Viser was big for the Panthers in the final six minutes as the junior college transfer gave EIU a 50-48 lead with 6:12 to play with a 3-pointer from the wing. After a defensive stand on the other end of the floor Viser put the Panthers up five knocking down a second straight 3-pointer with 5:10 to play.
Cornell Johnston extended the lead to seven points with free throws at the 4:45 mark as EIU was able to use that seven point lead to hold off NIU.
Darrell Bowie hit a 3-pointer at 3:44 to trim the lead 55-52. EIU answered with a
Trae Anderson jumper before Bowie cut the lead to 57-55 with a 3-pointer in the corner at 2:28. The only points scored in the final minutes of play came from a pair of Johnston free throws for EIU as he finished with nine points.
Viser was the Panthers top scorer with 16 points hitting 4-of-9 from 3-point range.
Dylan Chatman added 14 points also hitting 4-of-9 from 3-point range as the Panthers finished 9-of-23 from behind the arc.
Bowie led NIU with 14 points while Jordan Threloff chipped in with 13.
The Panthers led 31-26 at the half after opening the game with an 18-8 lead. A 3-pointer by Viser at the 10:13 mark of the first gave the Panthers the ten point first half advantage. Chatman drained a 3-pointer with 8:37 to play in the first that gave EIU a 23-10 cushion.
The Huskies slowly got back in the game at the free throw line as they made eight free throws led by Aaric Armstead with five trips to the line. Armstead's free throws with 2:41 to play in the first made it a three point game at 29-26. Johnston closed the half for the Panthers with a lay-up.
Bowie gave NIU its first lead of the game in the second half with a lay-up at 15:36. Armstead put the Huskies up three with a free throw at 15:06. EIU rallied to tie the game on a Johnston jumper at 9:18. EIU took the lead for good on Viser's 3-pointer at the 6:12 mark.
EIU shot 46 percent for the game while limiting NIU to just 30 percent from the floor.