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CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Eastern Illinois rallied from 21 points down in the first half to tie the game with 7:08 remaining but in the end the Panthers fell short at the Show Me Center losing 80-73 to Southeast Missouri.
EIU fell to 9-17 overall, 5-10 in the OVC. The Panthers will play at UT Martin on Saturday night at 6 p.m. SEMO improved to 13-15 overall, 7-8 in the OVC.
After trailing by 21 points in the first half, EIU scored the final four points of the first half to cut the deficit to 45-30 at the half.
The Panthers opened the second half on a 14-0 run to cut the lead down to one point at 45-44 as
D'Angelo Jackson drove to the basket for a lay-up.
Ray Crossland hit a pair of 3-pointers during the early run.
Milos Vranes snapped a nearly four minute scoreless streak for SEMO as he hit a jumper at the 16:01 mark to make it 47-44. The Panthers closed to one or two points over the next nine minutes.
Mack Smith would tie the game for EIU at 61-61 as he hit a 35-foot 3-pointer with 7:09 to play. Smith finished with 15 as he was one of four Panthers in double figures.
Ledarrius Brewer hit one of two free throws to break the tie and then sank a 3-pointer to put the Redhawks back up four points. Brewer would hit two more big 3-pointers in the final three minutes as he scored 34 points.
Southeast Missouri took advantage of a cold shooting streak for Eastern Illinois as the Panthers went nearly six and a half minutes without a field goal in the first half. Denzel Mahoney put the Redhawks up 21-11 converting a pair of free throws with 12:20 to play.
???????SEMO would then catch fire from 3-point range with Brewer making four straight as the Redhawks knocked down seven of their first nine 3-pointers. Brewer had 17 first half points and finished the game going 7-of-10 on 3-pointers. SEMO shot 59 percent from 3-point range for the night going 13-of-22.
Brewer's three point play with 4:53 to play in the first half put the Redhawks up 41-20. EIU would close the half with a 10-4 run to trail 45-30 at the half.
D'Angelo Jackson scored ten first half points for the Panthers in his first action since suffering an injury in the opening minute of EIU's December 30 game at Austin Peay. Jackson finished with 13.
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Muusa Dama collected a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds while
Montell Goodwin led EIU with 18 points.
Mahoney had a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Vranes had 11 points.