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Photo Gallery (by Sandy King)

CHARLESTON, Ill. – In his final appearance in an Eastern Illinois uniform Sammy Friday IV scored a team-high 13 points on Saturday afternoon as the Panthers lost on Senior Day to Austin Peay, 64-52, at First Mid Court at Lantz Arena.
 
Friday was 6-of-9 from the floor finishing his season shooting 61.5 percent from the floor.  Fellow senior Kashawn Charles scored eight points including hitting a pair of 3-pointers as he finished 10th on the EIU career 3-pointers made list with 152.
 
Eastern Illinois could not overcome a slow start on Saturday afternoon as Austin Peay jumped out to a 13-2 lead in the first four-plus minutes of the contest.
 
The Panthers cut the double digit Governors lead down to seven on a Charles 3-pointer with 10:03 left in the first half.
 
APSU then went on a 15-5 run over the next six minutes ending with a Cameron Copeland 3-pointer that made it 34-17.  Copeland was one of five Governors that finished in double figures in the game as he scored a team-high 13 points.
 
EIU trimmed the lead to ten at the half trailing 40-30 at the break.
 
Austin Peay played with a double figure lead a majority of the second half with EIU closing to within six points with 5:04 left in the game on a Rodolfo Bolis lay-up. 
 
Paul Bizimana joined Friday in double figures for the Panthers with ten points.
 
Elijah Hutchins-Everett and Tariq Silver both scored 13 to tie Copeland for team-high honors.
 
EIU wraps up the 2021-22 season with a 5-26 record, 3-15 in the OVC.  APSU improved to 12-16 overall, 8-10 in the OVC in their final regular season conference contest.