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RICHMOND, Ky. – All five Colonel starters finished in double figures as the Eastern Kentucky University men’s basketball team defeated Tennessee State, 79-71, Saturday night in McBrayer Arena for the team’s first OVC home victory of the season. The win also improved EKU’s home-court winning streak to 15 games.

With EKU (9-5, 2-1 OVC) leading only 72-70 with 39 seconds remaining in the game, senior Josh Taylor delivered an emphatic dunk off an inbounds play to give the Colonels some breathing room. The Colonels then converted 5-of-6 (83.3 percent) free throws in the final half minute to secure the win.

Taylor led all scorers with 17 points. He also recorded a team-high six rebounds on the night.

Junior Justin Stommes (16 points), senior Papa Oppong (14), junior Spencer Perrin (14) and sophomore Joshua Jones (13) rounded out the balanced EKU scoring attack.

The Colonels shot 56 percent (28-of-50) from the field and improved to 6-0 in games in which they shoot at least 50 percent from the field.

Josh Sain paced TSU (3-11, 0-3 OVC) with 13 points and six rebounds. Robert Covington and Wil Peters both chipped in with 12 points.

The Tigers shot a season-best 52.6 percent (10-of-19) from three-point range.

A Stommes fast break layup capped an early 8-0 Colonel run that gave EKU a 12-4 lead with 14 minutes left in the first half. TSU’s Darius Cox, however, sank a three-pointer from the wing to tie the score, 14-14, with 10:34 showing on the clock.

EKU responded with another run as Oppong and Taylor knocked down consecutive threes and Jones slashed to the hole for two to give the Colonels a 26-19 advantage at the 4:05 mark in the first half.

TSU rallied again and a three-pointer by Covington sent the Tigers into halftime with their first lead since early in the contest, 29-28.

Taylor led all scorers with seven points at the break as the Colonels shot 54 percent from the field in the first half. Peters paced TSU with six points at halftime.

TSU used pressure from a full-court defense to reel off seven straight points early in the second half and take a 36-30 lead at the 17:20 mark.

The Colonels responded, though, as Jones converted a three-point play and Taylor threw down a thunderous one-handed dunk to bring EKU to within one, 36-35. A Stommes layup with 15 minutes to play in the half gave EKU the lead, 40-39.

The Colonels led by as many as five over the next 10 minutes before Covington hit a layup to tie the game, 59-59. After EKU scored on its ensuing possession, Jeremiah Crutcher nailed a three-pointer to give the Tigers the lead, 62-61, with 3:56 remaining in the game.

A three-point play by Oppong capped an 8-2 Colonel run over the next two minutes to give EKU a 70-65 advantage. A three from the corner by Josh Sain, however, pulled TSU to within two with 1:31 showing on the clock.

Eastern Kentucky is right back in action on Monday, Jan. 4, with a home game against Austin Peay. Tip time is set for 7:30 p.m.