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CHARLESTON, Ill. – Eastern Illinois men's basketball took its first lead of the game with 5:06 to play as the Panthers rallied for a 73-65 win over Southeast Missouri on Sunday night at Lantz Arena.  The win on senior night guaranteed the Panthers only their second winning season since the 2001 season when they advanced to the NCAA Tournament.
 
EIU improved to 16-12 overall, 9-6 in the OVC.  The Panthers will wrap up the regular season on Thursday night at Murray State with a 7 p.m. tip.  SEMO dropped to 12-16 overall, 6-9 in the OVC.
 
Cornell Johnston tied the game for the Panthers with free throws at the 6:19 mark.  After two defensive stands by EIU, Trae Anderson gave EIU its first lead with a lay-up with 5:09 to play.  EIU closed out the game with an 11-2 run as Isiah Jones 3-pointer accounted for SEMO's only scoring in the final 6:19 of regulation.
 
In the final run Anderson had four points and Chris Olivier had four points.  Olivier and Anderson combined for 37 points off the bench with Olivier leading all players with 20 points.  Anderson had 17 and seven rebounds.  EIU finished the game shooting 50 percent from the field.
 
Reggie Smith, one of five seniors honored following the game, closed out EIU's scoring with a pair of free throws as he had ten points.  The other seniors honored on Sunday night included Dylan Chatman, Mat Piotrowski, Keenen Anderson and Josh Piper.  Piper played in his 119th game and will tie the school record for games played on Thursday at Murray State.
 
SEMO opened the game draining 3-pointers and crashing the offensive glass.  The Redhawks went up seven points two times in the first half with Marcus Wallace sinking 3's on both occasions.  Wallace had 14 points, one of four SEMO players in double figures.  The Redhawks extended the lead to eight points on a Jarekious Bradley jumper with 5:54 to play.  Bradley had 18 points.
 
SEMO would lead 41-35 at the half hitting six 3-pointers in the first half and pulling down nine offensive rebounds.  The Redhawks connected on only two 3-pointers in the second finishing the game shooting 32 percent from behind the arc.  SEMO shot 39 percent for the game.
 
A dunk by Antonius Cleveland with 15:16 left in the game gave SEMO a nine point lead at 49-40.  Cleveland had 14 points.  
 
EIU quickly cut into the lead with 3-pointers by Smith and Chatman.  EIU would hit 4-of-8 from 3-point range in the second half.  Cornell Johnston was 2-of-2 from 3-point range finishing with 12 points. The freshman guard added four assists as he moved into tenth on the EIU single season assist list with 126.  Johnston has hit 30 of his last 40 3-pointers as he leads the OVC shooting 52.9 percent from 3-point range.
 
Jones was the final double figure scorer for SEMO with 12 points.