Box Score  |  Photo Gallery (by Sandy King)

CHARLESTON, Ill. – Kinyon Hodges scored a season high 23 points but a turnover by Eastern Illinois in the final five seconds of regulation, just the Panthers ninth turnover of the game, prevented EIU from taking a final shot to tie or win the game.
 
Trenton Massner would sink two free throws with two seconds left in the game helping Western Illinois retain the Old Railsplitter Axe with a 79-75 win at First Mid Court at Lantz Arena.
 
EIU shot 53 percent from the floor and 86 percent from the foul line in the loss while Western Illinois also was hot from the field finishing at 52 percent from the floor and 88 percent from the foul line.
 
The difference ended up being the type of shots that went down as WIU made nine 3-pointers compared to just five for the Panthers.
 
Alec Rosner was 5-of-8 from 3-point range to lead the Leathernecks with 23 points.
 
EIU led 38-37 at the half and held the lead for a good portion of the second half.  A 3-pointer by Massner gave WIU a 57-56 lead with 10:40 left in the contest.
 
The game would see five lead changes and four ties over the next five minutes before Rosner sank a 3-pointer with 5:43 left in the game to give WIU the lead for good.
 
Caleb Donaldson joined Hodges in double figures for EIU with ten points. 
 
Four WIU players finished in double figures led by Rosner.  Massner scored 17. 
 
EIU fell to 2-9 on the season.  WIU improved to 6-4.