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CHARLESTON, Ill. – Kejuan Clements had a double-double with 25 points and 11 assists on Saturday afternoon as Eastern Illinois held off a determined North Park University team, 76-71, at First Mid Court at Lantz Arena.
 
EIU improved to 2-7 on the season.  North Park is 3-2.
 
EIU shot 52 percent from the floor in the opening half but the Panthers could never create much breathing room against North Park as they pushed their lead to a high of seven points with 8:32 left in the first half on a bucket by Sammy Friday IV.
 
North Park would answer with a 7-0 run as the Vikings tied the game four times over the next four minutes of action.  The final tie in the run came at 26-26 on a jumper by Michael Osborne with 4:18 left in the half.  Osborne had 17 points in the game for North Park, one of three Vikings in double figures in the game.
 
Adam Bulwa gave North Park the lead at 28-26 with a put-back basket with 2:33 left in the half.   North Park finished with a 43-31 advantage on the glass pulling down 20 offensive rebounds in the game.
 
Clements would lead a late first half EIU rally to give the Panthers a 31-28 lead at the break.  He hit a 3-pointer with 1:36 left in the half and assisted on a bucket by CJ Lane to close the opening half scoring.
 
Kashawn Charles connected on back-to-back 3-pointers midway through the second half to push EIU's lead out to eight points.  Charles second 3-pointer came with 11:21 remaining giving EIU a 55-47 lead.  Charles hit five 3-pointers for the second straight game finishing with 17 points. 
 
A three-point play by Jermaine Hamlin on the next possession gave EIU its first double figure lead of the game with 10:11 left in the contest.  EIU would lead by as many as 12 points with 7:16 left in the game.
 
North Park closed to within four points twice in the final 1:14 of the game, the final time with 17 seconds remaining on a jumper by Osborne.  Gabe Johnson led North Park with 19 points to go with 10 rebounds.  Jalen Boyd added 13 points.
 
EIU had four players in double figures with Hamlin and Rodolfo Bolis each scoring ten points to join Clements and Charles in double figures.
 
EIU plays on Tuesday night at Missouri.