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CHARLESTON, Ill. – Host Eastern Illinois shot 65.2 percent in the second half to pull away from the Eastern Kentucky University men’s basketball team Saturday night in Lantz Arena, 77-54. With the win, the Panthers (14-11, 8-7 OVC) earned a split of the season series with the Colonels (18-9, 10-5).

Senior Josh Taylor was the lone EKU player to finish in double figures with 11 points. Junior Justin Stommes, the team’s leading scorer, was held to six second half points.

Tyler Laser paced Eastern Illinois with 17 points thanks to hitting 5-of-7 (71.4 percent) three-point attempts. James Hollowell chipped in with 16 points and a game-high nine rebounds.

The game featured three ties and four lead changes early on before a Taylor jumper put EKU ahead, 13-11. From there, the Panthers responded with a 10-0 run to take control of the game. Eastern Kentucky missed nine consecutive shots over the next five-plus minutes as EIU built a 21-13 cushion.

A Hollowell dunk then gave Eastern Illinois its first double-digit lead, 30-19, with 1:52 left in the half. Jeremy Granger’s lay-up right before intermission gave the Panthers a 34-21 lead at halftime. The 21 points marked the fewest the Colonels have scored in a half this year.

Eastern Illinois put away the Colonels right at the start of the second half with a 9-2 spurt. The Panthers netted 15-of-23 field goal attempts in the final 20 minutes, including all five three-point attempts.

The Colonels closed the gap to 16 points midway through the stanza, 55-39, only to see EIU respond with back-to-back three-pointers from Laser and Curry McKinney.

Eastern Illinois made 8-of-12 (66.7 percent) three-pointers and shot better than 50 percent (54.7 percent) from the field for the third consecutive game.

Eastern Kentucky finishes its three-game road swing Wednesday, Feb. 17, at OVC rival Morehead State. Game time is set for 7 p.m.