Click here for official box score!

CHARLESTON, Ill. – The Eastern Kentucky University men’s basketball team used a decisive 17-2 run early in the second half to pull away from host Eastern Illinois and defeat the Panthers, 63-49, Thursday night at Lantz Arena. Junior Joshua Jones led all scorers on the night with 16 points.

With the win, the Colonels snap a three-game losing streak at EIU and improve to 8-9 (3-4 OVC) on the season. The Panthers, meanwhile, fall to 6-10 (2-4 OVC) on the year.

Jones finished the night with 16 points, four rebounds, four assists and two blocks to pace EKU. Senior Josh Daniel sank four three-pointers to finish with 14 points while senior Justin Stommes chipped in with 11 points, eight of which he scored consecutively to spark the 17-2 second half run.

The Colonels shot 48 percent (24-of-50) from the field and connected on 10 three-pointers for the second straight OVC game.

Jeremy Granger scored 12 of his 15 points in the second half to lead EIU. He was the only Panther to reach double figures on the night.

EKU never trailed in the first half as the Colonels shot 56 percent (14-of-25) and stifled EIU to just 33.3 percent (7-of-21) from the field. A jumper by senior Spencer Perrin with less than a minute on the clock sent EKU into the locker room at the break up 32-20.

EIU scored the first five points of the second half to cut the Colonel lead to seven, 32-25, with 18:47 on the clock; however, Jones, Daniel and Stommes led a barrage of Colonel three-pointers over the next five minutes that propelled a 17-2 run and gave EKU a commanding 49-27 lead with 13:00 left in the game.

Granger knocked down consecutive threes to spark a 12-3 EIU run that brought the Colonels to within 11, 56-45, and forced EKU to call a timeout with 4:50 left in the game. However, Daniel came out of the timeout and buried a three-pointer from the top of the key to make the lead 14 again and quell the Panther rally. The Colonels would lead by double digits the rest of the way.

EKU returns to action on Saturday when they travel to face Southeast Missouri at 5:00 p.m. ET.