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Photo Gallery (by
Sandy King)
CHARLESTON, Ill. – Eastern Illinois men's basketball came down to the wire for the third straight game as the Panthers picked up their first win of the season on Friday night with an 80-79 win over IUPUI.
Terrell Lewis scored a career high 25 points including knocking down a pair of free throws with six seconds left to give EIU the win.
EIU improves to 1-2 on the season and will play at San Diego State on Monday night. IUPUI falls to 1-2 on the year.
EIU trailed 41-38 at the half after a big first half by Aaron Bennett who scored 17 of his 25 points for the Jaguars in the opening half. IUPUI shot 65 percent in the opening half and ended the game shooting 60 percent.
Lewis hit a 3-pointer with 17:40 to play in the second half that squared the game at 46-46, the ninth tie of a closely contested game. Lewis would go 7-of-9 from 3-point range as he moved into fifth place on the EIU career 3-pointers list in the game.
IUPUI would answer with a lay-up by Evan Hall as the Jaguars scored 42 of their 79 points in the paint. Jaylen Minnett followed with a 3-pointer and Ron Patterson added a dunk as IUPUI built a seven point lead, 53-46, with 16:05 to play.
The Jaguars would keep the lead until the final 2:30 of the contest. Lewis then sank a 3-pointer to put the Panthers up 76-75. After the teams traded baskets by Hall and
Ray Crossland, Aaron Brennan gave IUPUI a 79-78 lead with 17 seconds left.
Lewis would drive the lane in the final seconds and draw a foul. He then stepped to the line and sank both shots.
Jajuan Starks added 16 points and eight rebounds while
D'Angelo Jackson finished with 11 points. EIU shot 51 percent for the game.
Four players scored in double figures for IUPUI. After Brennan's 25 points, Patterson added 19, Hall 13 and T.J. Henderson 10.