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RICHMOND, Ky. – Junior Justin Stommes converted the go-ahead layup with 21 seconds remaining and sophomore Joshua Jones drew a charge on the ensuing possession to help the Eastern Kentucky University men’s basketball team escape with a 66-65 win over Jacksonville State Saturday night in McBrayer Arena.

Eastern Kentucky (17-8, 9-4 OVC) is now 7-0 all-time at home against the Gamecocks (10-13, 6-7).

With JSU clinging to a 65-64 edge, Stommes drove to the rim, drew some contact and completed the layup to give the Colonels the lead with 21 ticks on the clock. On Jacksonville State’s ensuing possession, Jones drew a charge on Nick Murphy with six seconds left. The Gamecocks were then forced to foul. Jones missed the resulting free throws attempts to give Jacksonville State one final chance, but Jeremy Bynum’s desperation three-pointer was wide left as the clock expired.

Eastern senior Papa Oppong led all scorers with 20 points, which was one point shy of his career high. Stommes and Jones scored 16 and 12 points, respectively. Junior Spencer Perrin came off the bench to score 11 points and tally a team-best six rebounds.

Trenton Marshall paced JSU with 19 points, while Murphy contributed with 15 points and Bynum scored 13.

JSU led for a majority of the first half before a step-back three pointer by Jones with 12 seconds on the clock tied the score at 25-25.

However, Murphy converted a layup four seconds before intermission to send the Gamecocks into the locker room ahead, 27-25.

The Colonels shot just 38.5 percent from the field in the first half and turned the ball over six times. JSU, meanwhile, committed only two turnovers in the first 20 minutes, but was 0-for-8 from three-point range.

EKU wasted little time in getting its first lead since 16:11 in the first half, as Oppong drained a trifecta 43 seconds into the second half to give the Colonels a 28-27 advantage.

After a three by Bynum sparked a JSU rally that put the Gamecocks up 39-33, Stommes scored six straight points by himself to tie the score at 39 with 11:24 showing on the clock.

EKU took the lead again when Perrin converted a three-point play to make it 46-45 with 9:30 remaining in the game.

Two minutes later, a pair of free throws by Oppong gave the Colonels their largest lead of the game, 57-50. However, JSU responded as Marshall knocked down a jumper with 4:41 on the clock to cap a 10-2 run to give the Gamecocks the lead, 60-59. JSU would not relinquish the lead again until Stommes’ layup with 21 seconds showing on the clock.

Jacksonville State forced 15 EKU turnovers, the most by the Colonels in 14 games dating back to Dec. 19 at Ohio. Eastern held its own on the glass, though, and improved to 5-0 this year when finishing with more rebounds than the opposition (30-28).

EKU returns to action on Thursday, Feb. 11, when the Colonels travel to Southeast Missouri at 8:45 p.m.