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CHARLESTON, Ill. – Three Eastern Illinois players posted double-doubles Saturday afternoon as the Panthers needed overtime to beat Southeast Missouri, 86-80, at Lantz Arena.    It was the second time this week EIU has knocked off the OVC West Division leader after beating UT Martin on Thursday.
 
EIU honored the members of its senior class prior to the game as the Panthers improved to 13-13 overall, 5-8 in the OVC.  SEMO fell to 12-16 overall, 7-6 in the OVC.  EIU's 2017 senior class included Demetrius McReynolds, Joe Kuligoski, Justin Earls and team manager Eric Crist. 
 
The game was the fifth overtime game for EIU this season with the Panthers now 2-3 in extra sessions with a pair of double overtime games.  Tied at 71-71 each after regulation EIU jumped out to a four point lead on baskets by Muusa Dama and Montell Goodwin.  SEMO tied the game at 75-75 on a Denzel Mahoney jumper with 2:40 to play.
 
EIU then put the game away with an 8-0 run with Dama scoring seven of the eight points as he finished with 14 points and 18 rebounds.  Dama scored nine of his points in the overtime period.  The junior added five blocked shots as he became the EIU single season record holder in blocked shots breaking the previous mark of 55 set by Eric Frankford in 1994-95.  Dama now has 58 blocks this season to lead the OVC.  SEMO cut the lead to six points two times in the final 41 seconds but EIU answered each time at the foul line.
 
Senior Demetrius McReynolds and Ray Crossland joined Dama with double-doubles for EIU.  McReynolds just missed a triple-double with 11 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists.  Crossland had 15 points, 11 rebounds.
 
Goodwin had the hot hand in the first half for the Panthers as he helped the Panthers go on a 16-1 over a four and half minute stretch in the middle of the first half.  Mahoney put SEMO up 15-11 with 14:40 to play in the first.  Goodwin drained back-to-back 3-pointers and would score 11 of his game high 24 points during the run.  EIU would extend its lead to as high as 12 points in the first half on a Dama jumper with 7:57 to play in the first that put EIU up 32-20.
 
A pair of 3-pointers by Tahj Eaddy and five points by Mahoney allowed SEMO to chip away at the Panthers first half lead and trail 42-41 at the half.  Mahoney scored 16 of his 22 points in the first half for the Redhawks.
 
In the second half Eaddy hit his third 3-pointer of the game to give SEMO a 51-50 lead with 13:51.  The two teams would trade the lead with EIU going in front by six points with 2:57 left in regulation on a McReynolds jumper that made it 68-62.
 
A Goodwin 3-pointer looked to seal the game for EIU with 56 seconds left as EIU led 71-66.  Trey Kellum closed it to a one possession game with a dunk 12 seconds later and Jamaal Calvin tied the game at 71-71 with 25 seconds left in the game.  Kellum had a double-double for the Redhawks finishing with 16 points and 13 rebounds.   
 
Terrell Lewis was the fifth EIU player in double figures with ten points.  Antonius Cleveland finished with 14 points to give SEMO three double figure scorers. 
 
EIU won the battle on the glass finishing with a 53-45 rebound advantage. The Panthers converted 16 offensive rebounds into 22 second chance points. 

At halftime of the game EIU welcomed back to campus the Panthers 1992 NCAA Tournament team celebrating its 25th anniversary of becoming the Panthers first NCAA Division I tournament team.