Box Score
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ASHEVILLE, NC –
Josiah Wallace scored 31 points with all of them coming in the second half and overtime session as Eastern Illinois won its second game in as many days with a 90-86 win over Arkansas State in the
visitcurrituckOBX.com Battle in the Blue Ridge in Asheville, N.C.
EIU improved to 3-2 on the season. ASU fell to 1-4.
The Panthers trailed by as many as 12 points in the second half but closed to within six points with 3:01 to play.Â
JaQualis Matlock then made a pair of free throws and brought EIU to within one point with 1:45 to play with a three point play.
Wallace then gave EIU its first lead of the game with a three point play with 1:10 to play at 75-73. Ty Cockfield answered for ASU with a driving lay-up as the senior guard led the Red Wolves with 24 points countering most of the Panthers second half runs by himself.
ASU then held the lead in the final seconds with Wallace forcing overtime with a running jumper in the lane with 1.4 seconds left in the contest.
In overtime Wallace hit back-to-back jumpers in the overtime session to give EIU an 85-80 lead with just over two minutes to play. Wallace had ten of his points in overtime with the Panthers scoring 13 as a team in the extra time.
In the opening half Arkansas State was able to get EIU into some early foul trouble as the Red Wolves made 15-of-16 from the free throw line to post a 32-24 lead at the break. ASU was able to get good production from its bench with Malik Brevard finishing with a double-double at 13 points and ten rebounds. ASU finished the game with 43 points off the bench.
The Panthers finished with a 45-42 advantage on the glass.Â
Mack Smith had his second career double-double with 14 points and ten rebounds.Â
Rade Kukobat narrowly missed a double-double with 13 points, nine rebounds. Matlock added seven points, seven rebounds coming off the bench for the first time this season.
EIU will wrap up play in the Battle in the Blue Ridge on Sunday at 12 pm (central) facing UNC Wilmington.
