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CHARLESTON, Ill. – Eastern Illinois survived two game winning opportunities by Eastern Kentucky in the final six seconds as the Panthers hung on for a 67-66 win over the Colonels at Lantz Arena on Thursday night.
 
EIU improved to 13-9 overall, 6-3 in the OVC. It was the Panthers eighth win this season in a game decided by five points or less.  EKU fell to 10-12 overall, 3-6 in the OVC.
 
The late game dramatics played out over the final 3:40 of the game as Nick Mayo put the Colonels up three points as he converted at the foul line.  Mack Smith would hit a jumper in the lane with 2:41 to play to cut the lead to one point.
 
Both teams would then have players go 1-of-2 from the foul line on the next two possessions.  For EKU it was Tre King going 1-of-2.  For EIU it was Josiah Wallace.  Wallace would get redemption with 17 seconds remaining as he would make two free throws staking EIU to the 67-66 advantage.
 
With six seconds left the Colonels dumped the ball down low to Mayo who missed a shot that Cam Burrell cleaned off the glass.   Burrell was fouled and missed a pair of free throws with 2.7 seconds left.  Kelvin Robinson would miss a long jumper as time expired to hand EIU the win.
 
Burrell was part of a solid night of play off the bench for the Panthers as he finished with ten points and ten rebounds for his second double-double this season.  Ben Harvey added 11 points and Rade Kukobat eight as the Panthers scored 32 points off the bench.
 
In the first half Eastern Kentucky jumped out to a six point lead with 6:26 to play as Mayo went to the foul line.  EIU head coach Jay Spoonhour was called for a technical foul on the next EIU possession resulting in two more free throws for Mayo that pushed the Colonels lead to 25-17 with 6:14 to play.
 
The technical seemed to light a fire for EIU as the Panthers went on a 10-2 run and would go up by nine at the half, 39-30.
 
In the second half EIU extended its lead to 11 points on two occasions.  The first on a free throws by Mack Smith.  The second by a three point by play by Harvey with 14:14 to play.
 
EKU whittled away at the lead eventually tying the game at 62-62 with 4:55 to play on a Mayo jumper.  Mayo free throws at the 4:26 mark gave the Colonels a late lead and set up the exciting finish.  Mayo had 15 points and ten rebounds as three Colonels scored in double figures.  Dujuanta Weaver had 18 and Jomaru Brown 13.
 
Smith led EIU in scoring with 17 points as he knocked down four 3-pointers.  Smith has now hit at least one 3-pointer in 39 straight games, the longest active streak in the OVC.  Wallace added 14.