Box Score

BEREA, Ky. – Eleven unanswered points in the first half fueled Eastern Kentucky University's 81-66 victory over Eastern Illinois on Saturday at the Seabury Center in Berea, Kentucky.
 
EKU (6-5) was down 17-13 when George Kimble III hit consecutive 3-pointers to start the game-changing run.  Montavious Myrick followed with a dunk.  Kimble capped the run with a steal, a dunk and a free throw to put the Colonels on top 24-17 with 7:17 to play in the opening period.
 
A pair of free throws from Turner Buttry pushed the lead to 10, 35-25.  Myrick's dunk on an in-bounds play in the closing seconds of the first half sent EKU to the locker room up 11, 39-28.
 
The Panthers (3-7) scored the first three points of the second half to close within eight, 39-31.  However, the Colonels answered by scoring 14 of the next 16.  Jackson Holt hit two 3-pointers during the run, his second handed EKU a 15-point advantage, 48-33, with 16:28 left in the game.  Buttry finished off the run with a 3-pointer from the left wing for a 20-point lead, 53-33, with 13:52 to play. 
 
Two more 3-pointers from Holt gave EKU a 25-point edge, 62-37, with 11:16 on the clock.
 
The Colonels shot 17-of-38 (44.7 percent) from deep for the game.  Eastern Illinois made just 3-of-18 (16.7 percent). 
 
Kimble had a team-best 18 points, seven steals, five assists and four rebounds.  Holt finished with 17 points, hitting 5-of-10 from 3-point range.  Andrews had 15, going 5-of-7 from behind the arc and Buttry contributed 14 points.
 
Nakyel Shelton led all players with 22 points for the Panthers.
 
The reunion tour continues next Saturday when EKU faces former Ohio Valley Conference and Atlantic Sun Conference foe Jacksonville State at the Seabury Center in Berea.  Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. ET.