JACKSONVILLE, Ala. – Eastern Illinois rode the hot hand of
Demetrius McReynolds who scored 19 of his 21 points in the second half as the Panthers came from behind to win 75-64 at Jacksonville State on Saturday afternoon.
EIU improved to 4-10, 1-1 in the OVC. It was the first road win of the season for the Panthers. EIU will host Tennessee State on Wednesday at 7 p.m. in Lantz Arena. JSU fell to 5-12, 1-1 in the OVC.
EIU shot 70 percent in the second half knocking down 19-of-27 shots from the floor. McReynolds was 9-of-11 from the floor in the second half finishing as one of three EIU players in double figures.
JSU led by as many as ten points late in the first half as Malcolm Drumright connected for a pair of free throws to put the Gamecocks in front 32-22 with 1:41 to play. EIU closed the half with a 6-0 run as
Marshawn Blackmon had two lay-ups and McReynolds hit a jumper with two seconds remaining to cut JSU's halftime lead to 32-28.
Drumright hit a jumper with 18:01 to play in the game as JSU ran its lead back out to seven points at 39-32. Drumright had 19 points for JSU.
McReynolds answered with a 3-pointer and lay-up to cut the lead to three. The Panthers tied the game with 14:49 to play as
Trae Anderson's lay-up tied the game at 40-40.
The two teams traded baskets over the next seven minutes. Anderson hit a lay-up with 7:56 to play followed by a McReynolds jumper with 7:31 to play and EIU never trailed again.
EIU took its first double digit lead with 2:36 remaining on a McReynolds lay-up. The Panthers closed the game with free throws and a lay-up by
Casey Teson in the final 52 seconds. Teson opened the game 3-for-3 on 3-pointers and finished the game with 14 points.
A.J. Riley rounded out the double figure scorers for EIU with ten points while
Cornell Johnston had ten assists and nine points. EIU finished the game shooting 50 percent from the floor.
JaQuail Townser and Jared Hamilton added double digit scoring efforts for the Gamecocks. Townser had 15 points and Hamilton finished with 12.