Indidnia Tech, EIU, SIUE Men Claim Wins, EIU Women Lose

FORT WAYNE, Ind. -- Rontray Chavis’ fourth double-double of the season paced the Indiana Tech men’s basketball team to a 61-47 victory over Lawrence Tech on Saturday, snapping a season-long four-game losing streak.

Back-to-back jumpers by Antwan Cathey got the Warriors (12-8, 7-5) off to a fast start, but a 16-2 run by the Blue Devils (4-16, 2-10) gave the visitors a 10-point, 16-6, lead with 13:08 to play in the opening half. A Tanner Watkins three ended the run and the two teams traded baskets until a Jeff Hoskins jumper at the 10:40 mark cut the LTU lead to seven, 21-14, sparking an 11-3 run by the Warriors to give the home team a one-point, 25-22 lead that they would not relinquish.

The Orange and Black score six of the final eight points in the half to take a 31-26 lead into the break.

Indiana Tech did much of their damage inside, scoring 14 points in the paint to just two for LTU, and also held a 7-3 margin in second-chance points. Chavis’ seven points off the bench helped the Warriors to a 13-2 advantage in bench points.

Effingham High School graduate Jeremy Wohltman did not score for the winners but had one assist and one steal.

SIUE 67, Murray State 60

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – Rozell Nunn and Christian Salecich combined for 31 points, and SIUE men's basketball held Murray State to a season-low 60 points in a 67-60 Ohio Valley Conference win Saturday in front of 2,787 at Vadalabene Center.

SIUE dealt Murray State its first OVC loss of the season, while improving to 3-3 in league play and 6-13 overall. The Racers are now 10-8 overall and 5-1 in the OVC. The win is the second straight for SIUE in the series with Murray State; both wins have come in Edwardsville.

"We need something from every guy," SIUE Head Coach Lennox Forrester said. "This is a really good league. For our guys to win and have success we have to play 40 minutes of great basketball."

Nunn led all scorers with a career-high 20 points on 8 of 12 shooting from the field. He also led the team with seven rebounds. The junior has combined for 35 points on 14-23 shooting and hauled in 13 rebounds over SIUE's last two games.

EIU Men Edged Austin Peay

CHARLESTON, Ill.  – Reggie Smith scored 15 points on 6-for-10 shooting to lead the Panther men’s basketball team to a 67-64 win over Austin Peay on Saturday afternoon. EIU improves to 6-12 (3-4 OVC) on the year.

Leading 65-64 with 16 seconds remaining in the game, Sherman Blanford tipped in a missed shot by Luke Piotrowski to give EIU a three-point advantage. On the ensuing possession, Austin Peay’s Damarius Smith missed a three pointer as time expired from the left baseline as the Governors dropped to 8-11 overall and 2-3 in Ohio Valley Conference action.

Trailing 56-55 with 4:06 on the clock, EIU went 5-for-6 from the floor and hit its only free throw attempt down the stretch to hang on for the victory. All told, the game had 18 lead changes and 11 ties.

EIU had its largest lead of the contest, 34-27, on a Dylan Chatman three pointer with 3:22 left before intermission. The Governors used an 8-0 run to end the half and take a 35-34 advantage into the locker room.

EIU Women Fall To Austin Peay

CHARLESTON, Ill. – Austin Peay used a 40-12 points in the paint advantage on Saturday afternoon as the Lady Govs picked up a 64-56 win over Eastern Illinois in Lantz Arena.  APSU improved to 5-13, 2-3 in the OVC.  EIU dropped to 7-10, 2-4 in the OVC.

Eastern Illinois had a balanced attack in the early minutes of the game as Taryn Olson, Jordyne Crunk and Morgan Palombizio all had baskets as EIU jumped out to a 6-2 lead.

Austin Peay then began to pound the ball down low starting with post baskets by Jennifer Nwokocha and Beth Rates.  Tearra Banks came off the bench for six of her nine points in the middle portion of the first half as APSU pulled out to a 20-14 lead.

The Lady Govs shot 53 percent in the first half closing on a 12-5 run to lead 34-23 at the half.  Tiasha Gray hit a jumper with four seconds left to cap the APSU run.  Gary led all scorers with 15 points as Austin Peay had four players finish in double figures.