OXFORD, Ohio – In a back-and-forth game,
Corey Sawyer Jr. hit a driving lay-up with five seconds remaining to lift Eastern Illinois to a 48-46 win over Coppin State on Saturday at the Miami RedHawk MTE.
Sawyer finished with six points as only one player on each team finished in double figures in the low scoring affair.
EIU led 23-21 at the half and finished with that same score differential led by
Kooper Jacobi's 11 points.Â
Coppin State took the lead midway through the second half and led by three points with 7:25 left in the in contest after a jumper by Zahree Harrison.
Camaren Sparrow, who scored a game-high 12 points for the Eagles, pushed the lead to four points with 5:21 to play with a lay-up.
Eastern Illinois answered each quick spurt by Coppin State knotting the game at 42-42 on a jumper by
Sincere Malone with 2:39 to play. Malone again tied the game at 44-44 with free throws with 1:20 remaining.
EIU went ahead on a jumper by
Kyndall Davis with 38 seconds left only to see Sparrow hit a pull-up jumper with 22 seconds left to tie the game at 46-46.  That set the stage for Sawyer's game winner assisted by
Jaylin Gibson.
CSU missed a shot with three seconds left with
Dan Luers securing the rebound and the win.
Malone led EIU with eight rebounds as the Panthers held Coppin State to 32 percent shooting.