Box Score
SAN ANTONIO – Eastern Illinois closed with a 17-0 run on Sunday afternoon as the Panthers finished with a 2-1 record at the Incarnate Word MTE Tournament following a 72-63 win over the host Cardinals.
EIU improved to 4-3 on the season. Incarnate Word fell to 2-5.
Trailing 63-55 with 5:40 to play, EIU chipped into the lead at the foul line as
Deang Deang had the first three points in the run at the foul line. Deang would score seven points in the run with five of his points at the foul line. Deang scored 15 points in the game.
George Dixon and
Marvin Johnson scored the remaining points in the run with Dixon knocking down a pair of free throws with 3:07 remaining to give EIU the lead. Dixon led the Panthers with 16 points going 8-of-10 from the foul line. EIU was 9-of-11 from the stripe in the final five minutes of the game and 23-of-32 for the game.
Incarnate Word had built the 63-55 lead following a 3-pointer by Keaston Willis who finished 4-of-9 from 3-point range in the game, scoring 13 points. UIW was 8-of-20 from 3-point range in the game but was 0-for-2 from beyond the arc in the final five minutes.
UIW built a 33-30 lead at the half with good play by Drew Lutz. Lutz had 20 points going 6-of-9 from the field.Â
EIU's defensive pressure would pay off over the course of the game as the Panthers forced 22 UIW turnovers leading to 24 points on a night where EIU finished shooting 40 percent from the field.Â
Johnson had 12 points off the bench for EIU while
Josiah Wallace added 11.