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RICHMOND, Ky. – Senior Spencer Perrin scored a career-high 20 points and collected a team-high six rebounds as the Eastern Kentucky University men’s basketball team pulled away from SIU Edwardsville in the second half and won, 81-65, on Wednesday night in the Colonels’ home opener at McBrayer Arena.

EKU (2-2) has now won 13 consecutive home openers dating back to the 1997-98 season.

Sophomore Willie Cruz finished the night one point shy of his career high with 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the field while senior Josh Daniel chipped in with 13 points and a career-high five steals.

Leading by only three at halftime, the Colonels pulled away by shooting 58 percent (18-of-31) from the field in the final 20 minutes to finish the night shooting 52 percent, the first time they have shot above 50 percent from the field this season.

Corey Wickware led SIUE (0-3) with 16 points while Nikola Bundalo contributed 15 points. After SIUE shot 50 percent (5-of-10) from three-point range in the first half, the Colonels stifled the Cougars to just 13 percent (2-of-15) from deep in the second half.

EKU opened the game with a 9-2 run, capped by a Perrin fast break dunk with 17:32 left in the half. But SIUE surged back to within three, 19-16, when Kevin Stineman buried a three from the corner and then took its first lead of the game on a pair of Nikola Bundalo free throws that made it 26-24 with 5:49 showing on the clock.

The Colonels quickly retook the advantage less than a minute later as Perrin slammed home a backdoor alley oop to make it 27-26 and held on to that lead for the remainder of the half. A layup by senior Devin McDonald sent EKU into the locker room ahead at halftime, 36-33.

EKU began to pull away early in the second half as a layup by senior Justin Stommes – seeing his first action of the season – gave the Colonels their largest and first double digit lead of the game, 57-47, with 11:47 on the clock. SIU Edwardsville would only get as close as seven points the rest of the way.

This was the first ever meeting between the two teams. SIUE begins OVC regular season competition in 2011-12.

The Colonels return to action on Saturday, Nov. 20, when they host Presbyterian College at McBrayer Arena. Tip time is scheduled for 7 p.m.