CHARLESTON, Ill. – Both teams built double-digit leads Thursday, but Eastern Illinois was able to outlast SIUE men's basketball 76-72 in overtime in the Ohio Valley Conference opener for both teams.
The Cougars dropped to 7-5 overall and 0-1 in OVC play. Eastern Illinois improved to 3-8 and 1-1 in the league.
Eastern Illinois knocked down all five of its field goal attempts and 3-5 free throws in the extra period to outlast the Cougars.
Eastern Illinois got off to a quick start and built its largest lead at 21-11 after a Zion Fruster layup with 8:53 to play in the half. The Cougars battled back and a Ring Malith three-pointer with 5:55 to play gave SIUE its first lead of the game at 22-21.
The game was tied at 32 heading into halftime. After EIU went up four to start the second half, Jo Valrie hit a three-pointer and followed with a layup in the next possession to put SIUE on top. It was tied at 43 when the Cougars pulled ahead with an 8-0 run to lead 51-43 with 10:50 left.
Another three-pointer by Malith gave SIUE its largest lead at 59-49 with 7:38 to play in the game, but EIU surged from there.
The Panthers went on a 12-2 run and tied the game on Meechie White's three-point play with 3:32 left. Fruster then put EIU on top 63-61 with a runner through the lane with 2:45 left.
Malith found Arnas Sakenis inside to tie 63-63 1:41 left an that's the way the game went to overtime.
Malith led SIUE with 23 points, tying EIU's Zion Fruster for game-high honors. It marked the fifth time this year that Malith has scored at least 20 points in a game. Harrison Alexander turned a career-high in scoring for the second straight game, scoring 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting. He was 4-5 from three-point range. Sakenis matched his career high with 10 points. He also tied a career high with five blocks. Jack Campion handed out a career-best 10 assists and became the first Cougar with double-digit assists in a game since the 2022-23 season.
After shooting 52 percent in the first half, SIUE went 9-28 (32 percent) from the field in the second half and 3-7 in the overtime period.
The Cougars will continue OVC play Monday afternoon on the road at Western Illinois. Tipoff is slated for 3: 30 p.m.
