Ace Hunt
Gosycamores.com
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. -- Justin Gant paced the Sycamores with 14 points but it wasn't enough as Indiana State fell to visiting Eastern Illinois by the score of 60-56 in front of 3,571 fans inside Hulman Center.
The Sycamores fell to 4-7 while EIU improved to 5-6.
Gant scored his 14 points on the strength of five field goals and four free throws. He added six rebounds. Also in double figures scoring was Brenton Scott who added 12 points, including a pair of 3-pointers. Khristian Smith tallied seven points and pulled down nine rebounds.
The Sycamores owned a 35-25 edge on the glass, including 16 offensive rebounds. Indiana State's defense forced 21 EIU turnovers.
T.J. Bell, earning his second consecutive start, the Charleston, Ill., native hit a reverse lay-up at the 18:33 mark to stake the Sycamores to a quick 2-0 advantage. EIU would score eight of the next nine until Jake Kitchell tallied a free throw to get the Sycamores within 8-4. Grant Prusator's 3-pointer at the 12:52 mark got the Sycamores within a point, but eight in a row from the Panthers wasn't answered for over six minutes whe Gant poured in a jump hook to cut the Panther lead down to 18-11.
That field goal began a 6-0 run which also included another Gant jumper and a Smith lay-up with 4:11 remaining in the first half to get the Sycamores within 18-15. Gant scored with 1:35 left before the break, but EIU owned a 20-17 halftime lead.
A conventional 3-point play from Luke Piotrowski opened the second half for the Panthers, by a trifecta from Smith kept the Sycamores within 23-20. Piotrowski scored again, but Brown answered with a 3-pointer and the Sycamores found themselves down just 25-23 with 17:44 on the clock. Four points in a row from the Panthers was answered with a Bell free throw and a Tre' Bennett 3-pointer to keep the Sycamores in it at 30-27 with 15:36 remaining.
The score continued to volley between a four and six point difference until Gant's conventional 3-point play with 8:06 remaining got Indiana State within 44-41 and a Smith lay-up made it a one point game. EIU's Oliver and Indiana State's Scott countered each other's field goals and then Oliver tacked on a three-point play. Brown hit 1-of-2 free throws for the Sycamores to keep the score of 51-48 with 4:33 remaining, but Cornell Johnston's 3-pointer with 3:44 on the clock stretched the Panther advantage out to six.
A free throw from Bell and then a Brown driving lay-up with 2:04 to go cut the Panther lead to 54-51. After a turnover from Johnston, Brown hit another lay-up as the clocked ticked under one minute to make it 54-53. The Sycamores would not score again until Scott hit a 3-pointer with two seconds remaining while EIU added six more and the Panthers escaped with the 60-56 victory.
Chris Oliver paced the Panthers with 15 points.
Indiana State returns to action on Sunday, December 28 when they host Missouri-Kansas City to wrap up non-conference play as well as its current three-game Holiday home stand. Tip-off is set for 2:05 p.m. (ET).
