CHARLESTON, Ill. — (ESPN Clarksville) In a physical matchup, Austin Peay State University men’s basketball team rallied back from an early deficit but couldn’t hang on in an 85-83 loss at Eastern Illinois in Lantz Arena, Saturday.
The loss snapped a five-game winning streak and ended any hopes Austin Peay (13-6, 5-1 OVC) might’ve had of running the table in league play. For Eastern Illinois (11-8, 4-2), the win represents a statement game for a program looking to crack the upper echelon of league schools.
Eastern Illinois started out on absolute fire from the floor, hitting five straight shots to start the contest and stake an 11-4 lead. Even though they finally missed at the 15-minute mark, the Panthers remained hot from the floor, hitting 12-of-16 to start the game and take a nine-point lead with seven minutes to play in the half.
The Govs rallied late in the first, closing the half with a Chris Porter-Bunton tip-in as time expired to get within six (43-37) at the half.
Although Josiah Wallace—who led all scorers with 27 points—hit a three to open the second half, the Govs quickly got within a bucket thanks to a three-pointer by senior Zach Glotta and took the lead on a Porter-Bunton jumper with 14:20 to play. This was part of a 19-1 run the Govs went on to go from behind by seven to a 14-point lead with 9:48 to go.
Just as quickly the lead was taken, it was erased. A 16-2 Eastern Illinois run culminating in a Kashwan Charles three-pointer with 5:57 to play had the game back square as the two teams entered crunch time.
Down the stretch, both teams traded haymakers. A Terry Taylor dunk put the Govs up a point, but Eastern Illinois’ Shareef Smith raced down the court for a lay-up to give the Panthers another lead. With under two minutes to play, Smith hit a pair of free-throws but was answered by a Jabari McGhee layup.
Ultimately, Smith was a difference-maker for Eastern Illinois; he scored the Panthers’ final 10 points, from crucial free-throws to ice-cold jumpers. After Porter-Bunton hit a pair of clutch free-throws with 27 seconds to play, Smith got into the lane and hit a jumper with less than three seconds to play; a last-gasp heave from near midcourt missed its mark and the hosts escaped with a win.
For as good as the Govs have been on the glass during the Matt Figger era, it was jarring to see them outrebounded by 15. The Panthers owned a 39-24 advantage on the glass, including 14 offensive rebounds. The minus-15 margin equaled the Troy contest for the largest deficit the Govs have endured with Figger at the helm, and the 24 rebounds equaled Austin Peay’s season-low.