Box Score (PDF)

RICHMOND, Ky. – Eastern Kentucky University's men's basketball team held visiting Florida Atlantic to four points for nearly seven minutes midway through the game and out-scored the Owls by 13 at the free throw line in an 80-73 victory on Tuesday at McBrayer Arena.
 
The Colonels (8-4) were down five, 34-29, with 2:31 left in the first half before senior Jarelle Reischel closed out the first stanza with a personal 8-2 run.  Eastern then scored 12 of the first 14 points of the second half to stretch it to a 20-4 run.
 
A pair of free throws by junior JaVontae Hawkins capped the run and put EKU in front by 11, 49-38.  Florida Atlantic (2-7) didn't score its fourth points of the second half until the 15:38 mark.
 
Eastern took its largest lead of 13 points, 54-41, on four straight free throws by Reischel and senior Ja'Mill Powell with 13:55 to play.  FAU closed the gap to two, 68-66, on a lay-up from Jeantal Cylla with less than five minutes remaining, but the visitors' run ended there.
 
The Colonels held FAU to 32 percent (11-of-34) shooting from the field and 10 percent (1-of-10) shooting from three-point range in the second half to secure the win.
 
Reischel led all players with 19 points and had a team-best seven rebounds, five assists and five steals. 
 
Nick Mayo, the reigning Ohio Valley Conference Freshman of the Week, finished with 18 points, three assists, three steals and two blocks.  One of his assists was an alley-oop pass to Hawkins early in the second half.
 
Eastern Kentucky remained unbeaten at home this season, moving to 7-0 inside McBrayer Arena.
 
The Colonels shot 43 percent from the field, but made 82 percent at the free throw line, going 27-of-33 from the charity stripe.  FAU was 14-of-16 at the free throw line for the game.
 
Adonis Filer led the Owls with 16 points and nine rebounds.
 
EKU plays at East Tennessee State on Friday at 7 p.m.