Box Score

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CHARLESTON, Ill.  – Senior forward Sherman Blanford scored a career-high 24 points and grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds to lead the Panther men's basketball team to a 76-70 win over SIU Edwardsville on Saturday afternoon inside Lantz Arena. EIU improves to 8-14 on the year and 5-5 in Ohio Valley Conference action.
 
Trailing 63-59 with 3:54 left in the game, Jake Verhagen hit back-to-back three pointers – his only two shots of the game – to spark the Panther comeback and give EIU a 65-63 advantage. EIU regained the lead for the first time since the 3:16 mark in the first half on the Verhagen three pointers. The Panthers never relinquished the lead and made five of their final six shot attempts and went 5-for-6 from the charity stripe to end the contest.
 
The first half saw six ties and nine lead changes with neither team leading by more than two possessions. EIU trailed 35-30 at intermission and came back to win only its second game of the year when trailing at the half.
 
EIU posted a .473 field-goal percentage in the contest, including a .560 percentage in the second half (15-for-25). The Panthers also went 4-for-17 from behind the arc and went 20-for-22 from the foul line.
 
Reggie Smith scored 17 points on 6-for-11 shooting while Chris Olivier rounded out the double-figure scorers with 12 points. Dylan Chatman dished out a team-high three assists in the win.
 
Defensively, EIU held a 37-27 advantage on the glass. Olivier added eight rebounds while Blanford had a team-high four steals.
 
SIUE went 26-for-57 from the floor and 7-for-19 from behind the arc, led by Kris Davis who went 5-for-8 from three-point range. Davis finished the game with a team-high 17 points.
 
Keaton Jackson added 16 points for the Cougars while Ray Lester chipped in 11 points and a team-high seven rebounds. Donivine Stewart contributed seven points, six steals and five assists. The Cougars also went 11-for-14 from the foul line.
 
The Panthers return to action on Feb. 6 at 7 p.m. as they play host to UT Martin.