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CHARLESTON, Ill. – Eastern Illinois cooled off from 3-point range in the second half shooting 1-of-12 from behind the arc as they fell at home to Southeast Missouri, 86-74, on Saturday afternoon.
 
EIU dropped to 7-12 overall, 3-5 in the OVC.  The Panthers will travel to Nashville next weekend to face league leading Belmont on Thursday and Tennessee State on Saturday.  SEMO improved to 10-11 overall, 4-4 in the OVC.
 
EIU was hot from 3-point range in the opening half as they connected on 7-of-12 from 3-point range.  Freshman Mack Smith picked up where he left off on Thursday night hitting his first five shots from 3-point range.   Smith finished 5-of-8 from 3-point range as he scored 17 points.
 
Daniel Simmons matched Smith's 3-point shooting for the Redhawks as he opened hitting 3-of-3 from 3-point range and kept SEMO in striking distance at the half.  EIU was up 43-36 at the break.  Simmons finished the night 5-of-6 from 3-point range scoring a game high 26 points.
 
Muusa Dama hit a lay-up to open the second half for EIU as the Panthers pushed the lead out to nine points.  SEMO had back-to-back 3-pointers from Simmons as they tied the game at 47-47 with 17:03 to play in the game.
 
The two teams would trade the lead over the next four minutes with EIU's final lead coming on a Jajuan Starks bucket with 13:38 to play which put EIU up 56-55.  Starks was one of five Panthers in double figures with 17 points.
 
A lay-up by Justin Carpenter and 3-pointer by Jonathan Dalton gave the Redhawks a two-possession lead.  Carpenter extended SEMO's lead to 65-57 with another low post bucket as he had 11 second points and 24 for the game.
 
The Panthers would hit a six minute stretch without a bucket late in the second half but free throws by Dama would bring EIU within three points at the 7:39 mark and within two points with 4:03 to play.  Dama recorded his second straight double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds.
 
The Redhawks would go 14-of-14 from the free throw line in the final 3:25 of the game to close out the contest.  For the game SEMO was 20-fo-22 from the line including 18-of-19 in the second half.  Dalton was 4-of-4 in the final minute to score 10 points.  Brewer was 6-of-6 as he finished with 12 points.
 
Montell Goodwin had 13 points while Ray Crossland added 11 for the Panthers.