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EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – Four Colonels finished in double figures and the Eastern Kentucky University men’s basketball team shot 60 percent from the floor in the second half to pull away from host SIU Edwardsville Tuesday night, 70-50. The Colonels (10-9) completed their three-game, six-day road trip with three double-digit victories.

Senior Justin Stommes led all scorers with 17 points thanks to hitting 3-of-6 (50 percent) three-pointers. Junior Joshua Jones (14 points), senior Spencer Perrin (12) and junior Jaron Jones (10) also reached double figures. Senior Josh Daniel hauled in a career-high 13 rebounds as EKU outrebounded the host Cougars, 36-25.

Cornelius Chatt (13 points) was the lone SIUE player to post at least 10 points.

After a tight first half, Stommes recorded seven straight points by himself to give Eastern its first double-figure lead of the game with 14:46 showing on the clock, 41-30. A few minutes later, a trifecta from Joshua Jones and a three-point play from Jaron Jones sparked a 10-0 Colonel run to help extend the cushion to 19 points, 53-34.

The Cougars cut the deficit to 13 points on two occasions, but would get no closer the rest of the contest. SIUE, which will officially begin OVC play next year, falls to 0-5 against league teams this season.

Eastern led throughout most of the opening half and grabbed its largest lead, 23-14, following a Joshua Jones basket midway through the period. However, the Colonels would go cold over the next six minutes allowing the Cougars to hang around.

Back-to-back three-pointers from Cody Rincker and Michael Messer allowed SIU Edwardsville to even the score with 4:15 on the clock at 23-all. SIUE knocked down 7-of-13 (53.8 percent) three-point attempts in the opening half.

A Jaron Jones putback kept Eastern out in front, 25-23, before a Stommes three-pointer made the score 30-26 in favor of the Colonels at the half.

Eastern Kentucky returns to OVC action Saturday, Jan. 22 at rival Morehead State. The game will be televised by ESPNU beginning at 1 p.m.