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CLARKSVILLE, Tenn.  – Austin Peay held off a late rally by the Panther men's basketball team as they held on for an 88-83 victory over EIU on Thursday night inside the Dunn Center. EIU falls to 9-16 on the year and 6-7 in conference play.
 
Trailing by as many as 13 points (80-67) with 1:18 left in the game, the Panthers rallied to get within three, 84-81, on a Dylan Chatman three pointer with 23 seconds on the clock. Austin Peay hit its final four free throw attempts to hang on for the victory before Sherman Blanford dunked in the Panthers final basket as time expired for the final 88-83 ledger.
 
Blanford scored a career-high 32 points with a career-high 18 rebounds in the loss. He went 13-for-20 from the floor and 6-for-6 from the foul line. The senior forward has now scored 20 or more points in four consecutive games.
 
Austin Peay hit seven of its first 11 shot attempts and went 4-for-4 from the foul line to take an early 22-9 advantage with 11:19 left in the first half. EIU battled back and outscored the Governors, 26-14, over the next nine minutes to get within one (36-35) at the 1:32 mark. Blanford got the Panthers within one again, 38-37, with 31 seconds on the clock before Austin Peay hit two free throws on its next possession to take a 40-37 lead into the locker room.
 
EIU opened the second half on a 4-0 run to take its only lead of the game, 41-40, on a Blanford put back with 18:02 left in the game. The Governors responded by going on a 19-7 run to take their first double-figure lead of the half, 59-48, at the 10:28 mark. Austin Peay never relinquished the lead as they improved to 11-14 on the year and 5-6 in conference play.
 
Chatman added 19 points, tying his career high in scoring, while adding a career-high seven assists. Jake Verhagen rounded out the double figure scoring with a career-high 12 points as he went 4-for-6 from behind the arc.  
 
EIU went 31-for-63 from the floor and 11-for-28 from behind the arc. The Panthers also went 10-for-11 from the free throw line.
 
Austin Peay hit 56.8 percent of its shot attempts and went 7-for-10 from behind the arc. The Governors also went 31-for-45 from the charity stripe.
 
Ed Dyson led four Governors in double figures with 24 points while adding 11 rebounds.  Travis Betran also added 23 points.
 
Austin Peay held a 31-29 advantage on the glass and scored 21 points off of 16 EIU turnovers.
 
The Panthers return to action at Murray State on Saturday, Feb. 15 at 7:30 p.m.