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CHARLESTON, Ill. – It took a little longer than maybe expected for Eastern Illinois to shake Division III member Blackburn College on Sunday afternoon, but the Panthers used a key 10-0 run midway through the second half to pull away for a 87-66 win at Groniger Arena.
 
EIU led by seven at the half 40-33 but Blackburn was able to hang around for the early part of the second half tying the game at 43-43 with 16:12 to play on free throws by Darius Duff.    Blackburn would take the lead at 52-50 with 12:46 left in the contest on a jumper by Odis Grissom.
 
The Panthers responded with a quick spurt to go up six as defense turned to offense with two steals by Nakyel Shelton and Jaylin Gibson to go with a pair of blocks by Kyndall Davis.
 
Blackburn cut the margin to three with 9:07 to play on a 3-pointer by Cayden Paquette, one of four Beavers in double figures.  Paquette had 11 points.  Duff and Zach Kelsey led Blackburn with 14 each.
 
Gibson then triggered what turned into a 10-0 EIU run with a 3-pointer followed by a pair of Corey Sawyer Jr baskets.  The run ended on a 3-pointer by Davis that gave the Panthers a comfortable margin they would never relinquish.
 
EIU shot 72.4 percent from the floor in the second half and 59.4 percent for the game.  Sawyer led four EIU players in double figures with 18 points.
 
Tiger Booker had 16 points, Davis 15 and Shelton 14 for EIU.  Kooper Jacobi pulled down ten rebounds as Blackburn actually won the battle on the glass with a 32-31 rebound advantage.
 
EIU is now 6-6.  Blackburn is 4-5.