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MOREHEAD, Ky. – Eastern Illinois was held below 40 percent shooting on the night but the Panthers knocked down shots when they needed them as EIU won on the road 61-52 at Morehead State on Thursday night.
EIU improved to 5-9 on the year, 1-2 in the OVC. EIU will play on Saturday at Eastern Kentucky. Morehead State fell to 4-10 overall, 0-3 in the OVC.
Leading 54-45 with just under three minutes remaining EIU was in the midst of a 4 minute, 12 second scoreless stretch as Jordan Walker cut the Panthers lead to six with a 3-pointer with 2:34 to play making it 54-48.
The Panthers went down low on the next two possessions with
Muusa Dama getting back-to-back buckets to extend the margin back to eight points. Dama's final bucket was at 1:18 to play putting EIU up 58-50. Dama finished with ten points.
Following free throws by Djimon Henson that made it a six point game with just under a minute to play, EIU closed out the game with free throws by
Montell Goodwin and
Mack Smith. Goodwin had 20 points to lead the Panthers.Â
Morehead State scored the first basket of the game before EIU tied the game on a jumper by
Jajuan Starks and took the lead on a 3-pointer by Goodwin with 18:13 to play in the first half. The Panthers would lead the remainder of the game.Â
EIU held a 29-21 lead at the half and pushed the lead out to as high as 13 points on two occasions. The first was on a Goodwin 3-pointer with 17:41 to play it the second. The final 13 point lead for EIU was on a
Justice Green free throw with 14:25 to play.
Starks added 15 points for EIU.Â
Ray Crossland and Goodwin both had a team high six rebounds as the Panthers won the battle on the glass, 40-31.
Lamontray Harris was the lone Morehead State player in double figures finishing with 17 points and nine rebounds. Â