EIU Men Win, Women Lose, College Scores

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Published on January 13 2014 7:26 am
Last Updated on January 13 2014 7:29 am
Written by Millie Lange

Olivier Leads EIU Men To Win

JACKSONVILLE, Ala.  – Chris Olivier scored a game-high 15 points to lead the Panther men’s basketball team to a 56-48 Ohio Valley Conference win at Jacksonville State on Saturday afternoon. EIU improves to 5-11 overall and 2-3 in conference action.

Leading 51-48 with 34 seconds left in regulation, the Panthers sank their final five free throw attempts – including the last four by Alex Austin – to hang on for the road win.

The Panthers had their largest lead, 36-18, with 16:43 on the clock in the second half before the Gamecocks (8-12, 2-3 OVC) outscored EIU, 18-4, to get within four (40-36). EIU responded by hitting their next four baskets to hold off the JSU comeback.

Reggie Smith scored the Panthers first six points of the game as they jumped out to an early 8-0 advantage. JSU went on a 13-3 run to take a two-point lead (13-11) at the 11:04 mark before the Panthers responded by using a 17-3 run to take a 28-16 lead with just under two minutes remaining before intermission. The Panthers posted a season-high .563 field-goal percentage in the first stanza, going 9-for-16 from the floor.


Jacksonville State Beats EIU Women

JACKSONVILLE, Ala. - Jacksonville State used a 13-2 run midway through the opening half as the Gamecocks held Eastern Illinois to 33 percent shooting during a 61-46 victory over the Panthers on Saturday afternoon.

JSU took care of the basketball committing only five turnovers in the contest improving to 5-13 on the year, 1-4 in the OVC.  EIU fell to 7-8, 2-2 in the OVC as the Panthers return to action on Monday night with a 7 p.m. game at Tennessee Tech.

Briana Benson sparked the Gamecocks first half run with a lay-up and free throw at 10:52 and 3-pointer at 8:22.  Candace Morton added a 3-pointer at 7:42 to put JSU up 24-10.  EIU trailed 33-16 after LaCresha Horton made a pair of free throws in the final 20 seconds of the first half.  

Morton led JSU in scoring with 16 points while Benson added 10 points off the bench.  Destany McLin also reached double figures finishing with 12 points.

After going 0-for-6 from 3-point range in the first half, EIU made 3-of-7 from beyond the arc in the second half.  Katlyn Payne's 3-pointer with 4:12 to play cut the lead to 11 points.  Jordyne Crunk trimmed the margin to eight points with a 3-pointer with 2:11 left as EIU trailed 51-43.7:30 AM 1/13/2014


SIUE Men Fall Short

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Down by as many as 21 points Saturday, SIUE men's basketball mounted a furious comeback attempt, only to come up short, falling 64-63 to Tennessee Tech in Ohio Valley Conference action at the Eblen Center.

After a layup by Donivine Stewart got the Cougars within one, 64-63, with 20 seconds left, Tennessee Tech's Shirmane Thomas was fouled on the ensuing inbound play. Thomas missed a pair of free throws. The second of which was rebounded by SIUE's Maurice Wiltz. Wiltz fed the ball to Stewart who weaved through traffic to get to the basket. His finger roll missed, as did Ray Lester's put back attempt as time expired.

"If they make both free throws we're going to run a play for a three to try and tie it," SIUE Head Coach Lennox Forrester explained. "If they miss both or we're down two, we're in the bonus so we wanted to take the ball to the rim, which we did. Donivine had a good look, but missed it. Ray had a good look as far as tipping it in, it just didn't go in."

SIUE falls to 4-13 overall and 1-3 in OVC play with the loss. Tennessee Tech improved to 10-9 overall and 3-1 in the OVC.