Box Score (PDF)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Junior JaVontae Hawkins poured in a career-high 36 points and freshman Nick Mayo notched his second straight double-double as the Eastern Kentucky University men's basketball team upended Tennessee State, 97-81, on Thursday night at the Gentry Center.
 
Hawkins' career night was powered by a 6-of-8 shooting performance from behind the arc. He also grabbed six rebounds, blocked two shots and came up with a steal.
 
Mayo scored 21 points and matched a career-high with 10 rebounds. Senior Jarelle Reischel contributed 11 points, five steals and three assists, while senior Ja'Mill Powell – making his second consecutive start – added 10 points, six rebounds and three assists.
 
EKU (13-12, 4-6 OVC) snapped a three-game losing streak by shooting a season-best 64 percent (14-of-22) from three-point range. The Colonels also shot 64 percent (32-of-50) from the field and 82 percent (19-of-23) from the free throw stripe to secure the key OVC East victory.
 
EKU held Tennessee State (15-7, 6-3 OVC) to 39 percent (22-of-66) shooting from the field, marking the second straight game the Colonels have limited their opponent to below 40 percent shooting.
 
Keron DeShields paced five Tigers in double figures with 21 points.
 
TSU took its only lead of the game, 22-20, when Wayne Martin hit a pair of free throws with 9:53 remaining in the first half. Mayo tied it with a jumper on the Colonels' next possession, and freshman Anthony Pratt gave Eastern the advantage with a put-back dunk less than a minute later.
 
The Colonels never trailed again.
 
At one point, Hawkins hit five consecutive three-pointers in the first half, the last of which gave the Colonels their largest lead of the game, 47-25, with 3:48 on the clock.
 
TSU, however, made a run of its own and pulled to within 13, 50-37, on a layup by DeShields just before halftime.
 
The Tigers continued to creep back into the game throughout the second half and got to within four of the Colonels, 81-77, when Darreon Reddick sank a pair of free throws with 5:38 remaining in the game.
 
However, Eastern responded with a 10-0 run over the next three minutes to put the game away. Hawkins, appropriately, was the star of the decisive stretch. He started the run with a pair of free throws and ended it with a layup that made it 91-79 with 2:19 on the clock.
 
The Colonels return to action on Saturday when they face Belmont at the Curb Event Center at 6:00 p.m. ET.