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CHARLESTON, Ill. – Eastern Illinois cut a 15-point Austin Peay lead down to two points with two and half minutes remaining on Saturday afternoon but saw its rally come up short as APSU held on for a 76-69 win in Lantz Arena.
 
EIU fell to 9-16 overall, 5-9 in the OVC.  APSU improved to 15-11 overall, 10-4 in the league.
 
Austin Peay used a 12-4 run midway through the first half to jump out to a nine point lead with 8:50 to play in the first as Tre' Ivory hit a lay-up to make it 22-13. 
 
Steve Harris would give the Governors a double digit lead at the 6:13 mark of the first half and Dayton Gumm's 3-pointer with 4:15 to play in the first made it 34-19.  Gumm ended the night leading APSU in scoring with 15 points while Harris finished with ten as five Governors scored in double figures.
 
APSU shot 63 percent in the first half to take a 41-30 halftime lead.  APSU finished the game shooting 52 percent from the floor.  EIU shot 51 percent in the game after heating up to shoot 58 percent in the second half.
 
The Panthers made their first run early in the second half with Montell Goodwin converting a floater in the lane followed by a Mack Smith 3-pointer that made it 48-44 with 14:55 to play.  Smith finished with 28 points going 6-of-9 from 3-point range.
 
Gumm responded with a 3-pointer and Ivory hit a jumper to give the Governors a nine point lead with 10:41 to play.  Gumm was 4-of-8 from 3-point range.
 
The Panthers would finally cut the lead to one possession with 3:37 to play at Smith's 3-pointer made it 65-63.  Chris Porter-Bunton answered with a jumper to make it a four-point margin.
 
Goodwin connected on a jumper on the next possession for EIU making it 67-65 with 2:26 to play.   Porter-Bunton had the answer again for Austin Peay sinking a 3-pointer as he had ten points.  Goodwin quickly hit a jumper for EIU to make it a three point game but EIU would not be able to get any closer.   Austin Peay closed the game hitting six of eight from the free throw line.
 
Goodwin had 17 points for EIU.  Muusa Dama finished with 12 points off the bench for EIU.  Aboubacar Diallo had five blocks as the Panthers had eight blocks in the game.
 
Terry Taylor had 14 points and a game-high eight rebounds for APSU.  Averyl Ugba finished with 13 points.