Tweet #EIUBleedBlue

PDF Box Score  |   Photo Gallery (by Sandy King)

CHARLESTON, Ill. – Eastern Illinois men's basketball made a late charge but in the end could not overcome a hot shooting night by Southern Indiana as the Screaming Eagles sank 16 3-pointers during a 95-92 win over the Panthers in Lantz Arena.
 
EIU went 1-1 during its two exhibition games beating Illinois 80-67 on Friday evening in Lantz Arena and then falling to USI on Monday evening.  EIU opens the regular season on Saturday at Nebraska with a 7:30 p.m. tip.
 
USI hit its first six shots from behind the arc as the two teams traded early buckets.  Following a Jujuan Starks lay-up with 14:49 to play that put EIU up 17-15, Nate Hansen answered with a 3-pointer for USI as they went on a 13-0 run.  Hansen, Alex Stein and Marellous Washington hit three straight 3-pointers to spark the run.  Stein had the final two baskets in the run as he finished with 28 points.
 
EIU trailed by as many as 14 in the first half but battled back to tie the game at 42-42 as EIU went on a 10-0 run of its own.  D'Angelo Jackson had five points and one assist during the run finishing the night with 17 points.  Hansen sank a 3-pointer for USI with 52 seconds left in the half to give the Screaming Eagles a 45-42 halftime lead.
 
The Panthers opened the second half with back-to-back steals the first by Terrell Lewis that set up a Starks lay-up.  The second by Jackson the Panthers were unable to capitalize on.  Stein then drained a 3-pointer to spark a run for USI that saw them extend the lead back to double figures with a dunk by Washington with 13:33 left to play giving USI a 62-48 lead.  Washington has 12 points as he was one of four USI players with double figures.
 
EIU would not go away and slowly chipped away at the lead eventually making it a one possession game with 23 seconds left on a Jackson basket that made it 89-87.  Stein would make six straight free throws to keep the Panthers at bay.
 
USI was 16-of-25 from 3-point range while shooting 61 percent from the field for the night.  Little added 19 points while Hansen finished with 12.  USI won the battle on the glass with DayJar Dickson pulling down 10 rebounds.
 
Starks was EIU's top scorer with 23 points.  Montell Goodwin had 17 and Lewis added 11.