Eastern Illinois University Athletics

Eastern Illinois men's basketball was on the other side of a lopsided win in their home opener at Groniger Arena as the Panthers rolled past NCAA Division III Blackburn College on Wednesday night, 102-44.
 
Six total players ended the night in double figures led by Gavin Welch who knocked down 7-of-14 from 3-point range to finish with 21 points.  The seven made 3-pointers tied for the eighth most by an individual player in an EIU game.
 
As a team EIU connected for 15 3-pointers which is tied for the third most made 3-pointers in school history.
 
EIU raced out to a 53-24 lead at the half shooting 50 percent from the floor.  They improved on that in the second half shooting 55.6 percent to finish at 52.7 percent for the night.
 
Jayden Wright just missed a double-double off the bench with eleven points, nine assists.   Shia Francis and Devin Davenport each scored ten off the bench.
 
Starter Tanner Vogel was just shy of his second double-double this year with 12 points, nine rebounds with fellow starter Daniel Ntambwe rounding out the EIU double figure scorers with ten.
 
EIU passed out 30 assists with just four turnovers in the game improving to 1-3 on the year.
 
Blackburn (1-1) was led by Owen Walter with 11 points.