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CHARLESTON, Ill. – Double-doubles by freshman Mack Smith and senior Muusa Dama carried Eastern Illinois to an 80-60 Ohio Valley Conference win over UT Martin on Thursday night in Lantz Arena.
 
EIU improved to 7-11 overall, 3-4 in the OVC.  UTM fell to 6-14 overall, 1-6 in the OVC.  EIU returns to action on Saturday hosting Southeast Missouri at 3:15 p.m.   It will be Take-A-Kid-To-Game Day where an adult ticket purchase gets you two free children's tickets.  EIU ticket holders that already have a ticket to the game can show that ticket and get two free children's tickets as well.
 
Mack Smith flirted with his double-double in the first half on both ends of the floor scoring eight points while pulling down seven rebounds.  He would finish the game with a career high 22 points and 11 rebounds.   Dama finished with 12 points and 13 rebounds as the Panthers won the battle on the glass by a 43-39 margin.
 
EIU lead 10-9 with 12:43 to play in the first half after Delfincko Bogan hit a driving lay-up for the Skyhawks.  The Panthers went on a 13-2 run over the next six minutes capped by back-to-back baskets by Ray Crossland.  His second basket put the Panthers in front 23-11 with 6:34 to play in the first. 
 
EIU would hold the halftime lead at 33-21 after Crossland again hit a jumper to score all eight of his points in the first half.
 
The Panthers would connect for 48 percent from the field in the second half as they finished the game shooting 41.8 percent, marking the first time in seven OVC games this season that EIU has shot over 40 percent from the floor.
 
Jajuan Starks scored the first wo EIU baskets of the second half and Logan Koch drained a 3-pointer with 13:43 to play putting the Panthers up 50-30.   Montell Goodwin followed with a 3-pointer on the next Panthers possession as he scored 18 points, his 11th straight double figure scoring game this season.
 
UT Martin trimmed into the lead with a 7-0 run as Matthew Butler hit a 3-pointer with 8:14 to play making it 60-46.  Smith stopped the Skyhawks run with a 3-pointer at 7:51 before Parker Hewitt had back-to-back lay-ups for UTM to make it 63-50 with 6:53 to play.  Hewitt had a team high 16 points for UTM.
 
Goodwin countered with a  3-pointer for EIU and Dama helped the Panthers make a defensive stand on the other end of the floor with a blocked shot, one of five for EIU on the night.  Goodwin was fouled and converted both free throws as the Panthers held the Skyhawks at a distance for the final five minutes.
 
Starks was the fourth EIU player in double figures finishing with 14 points.
 
Butler had 11 points for UTM with Dominique Williams scoring ten off the bench.  Terrence Parker pulled down 13 rebounds.