EIU Claims Exhibition Men's Basketball Win

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Published on November 4 2015 10:16 am
Last Updated on November 4 2015 10:16 am
Written by Millie Lange

CHARLESTON, Ill. – Senior Luke Norman played a role in Eastern Illinois final seven points on Tuesday night as the Panthers beat a hot shooting Saint Francis (Ill.) team, 74-71, in exhibition play at Lantz Arena.   Norman scored the final five points for EIU knocking down a 3-pointer with 1:02 to play that broke a 69-69 tie.
 
Norman helped EIU go up 69-67 with an assist to A.J. Riley.  The guard then knocked down a pair of free throws in the final five seconds to seal the win.  Norman finished with five points and two assists.
 
Riley was a factor for EIU down the stretch as he finished with 13 points, seven rebounds and six assists.  With EIU trailing 63-61 with 4:34 to play, Riley scored six of EIU’s next eight points with his final bucket off Norman’s assist with 1:57 to play.  Riley assisted Norman’s 3-pointer that broke the 69-69 tie and then forced a turnover by Saint Francis in the final seven seconds.
 
EIU led 33-32 at the half as Saint Francis kept the game close by hitting 57 percent from 3-point range in the first twenty minutes.  The Fighting Saints finished the night 13-of-26 from beyond the arc with Ilya Ilyayev draining 5-of-7 for a team high 24 points.
 
The Panthers opened up an eight point lead with 7:25 to play in the first half as Cornell Johnston had back-to-back baskets.  He was one of three players in double figures finishing with 14 points.  His 3-pointer with 5:29 to go in the first was the final time EIU led by eight points.
 
Ilyayev hit a 3-pointer to match Johnston’s 3-pointer.  Jo Jo Ballestero had two 3-pointers and Jean Pietrzak added a 3-pointer as Saint Francis made four of their last five 3-pointers in the first half.
 
The Panthers shot 58 percent for the second half and 53 percent for the game but never led by more than seven points in the second half.  A 3-pointer by Casey Teson pushed EIU’s lead to seven with 13:12 to play.
 
Ilyayev tied the game for Saint Francis with a free throws at 5:58 and then gave the Fighting Saints the lead with 5:15 to play.  Trae Anderson countered with a 3-pointer for EIU.  The teams swapped buckets before Riley and Norman closed out the win for EIU.
 
Anderson led EIU with 18 points.   Demetrius McReynolds pulled down seven rebounds.   EIU won the battle on the glass by a 35-29 margin with 11 offensive boards.  EIU was hurt at the free throw line as they shot 48 percent on the night.
 
Jens Kennedy had 21 points for USF while Pietrzak had a team high six rebounds.