Box Score (pdf)

CHARLESTON, Ill. – A 12-2 run to start the second half fueled Eastern Kentucky University's 68-59 victory at Eastern Illinois on Wednesday.
 
The Colonels trailed by one to start the second half.  Two free throws by Juan Cranford Jr. started the game-changing run and gave his squad a 1-point lead.  After the Panthers scored to go back on top 34-33, EKU scored the next 10 points to finish off the run. 
 
Austin Ball had a putback and a 3-pointer from the right wing.  Montavious Myrick followed with a jumper.  A 3-pointer from the left corner by Jackson Holt capped it and put the Colonels on top 43-34 with 14:31 left in the game.
 
EIU got within six, 45-39, on a layup from Meechie White at the 13:24 mark, but EKU scored seven straight.  Myrick's layup with 10:42 remaining pushed the margin to 13, 52-39.
 
A long jumper from the right corner from Jayden Harris gave the Colonels (3-7) their largest lead of 15 points, 57-42, with just over nine minutes to go.
 
The Panthers didn't go away.  EIU answered with a run of its own, out-scoring EKU 15-5.  A layup from Zion Fruster with 4:11 left to play made it a 5-point game, 62-57.
 
That's as close as it would get as Eastern Illinois (2-7) didn't score again until the final second of the game.  A reverse layup from Yvens Paul with 2:21 to go pushed the margin back to seven, 64-57.  Cranford and Turner Buttry hit four straight free throws in the final minute to extend the lead to 11, 68-57.  Preston Turner's dunk as the clock expired set the final score.
 
Cranford and Buttry finished with 14 points each.  Paul had 10 points and seven rebounds.  Myrick contributed six points, nine rebounds, four assists and three steals.
 
EKU shot 42% from the field for the game, but hit just 8-of-32 (25%) from behind the arc.  The Panthers were limited to 33% shooting.  The Colonels out-rebounded Eastern Illinois 37-30.
 
Fruster had a game-high 16 points for EIU.
 
Eastern Illinois had a 1-point lead after hitting 4-of-9 (44%) from 3-point range in the first 20 minutes of action.  The Panthers entered the game shooting just 28% from deep on the season.  Turner's 3-pointer with 4:42 before intermission gave EIU its first lead of the game, 24-23.  Another three from Turner tied the game at 29-29 with 54 seconds on the clock.  Andre Washington hit one from deep as time expired to send the home team to the locker room in front 32-31.
 
The Colonels led by as many as seven in the first half.  A putback from Jayden Harris and a jumper by Cranford, as the shot clock expired, put EKU ahead 19-12 with 8:26 to go in the first.  The visitors settled for the outside shot, attempting 18 three-pointers but hit just five.
 
The Colonels will host undefeated and No. 4 ranked mid-major Miami (Ohio) on Saturday at Baptist Health Arena.  Tipoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET.