RICHMOND, Ky. (AP) -- Darnell Dialls hit a 3-pointer with 13.3 seconds left to give Eastern Kentucky a 72-69 win over Eastern Illinois on Monday night.
Following Dialls' 21-foot shot, Romain Martin attempted a 3-pointer with 2.1 seconds left for Eastern Illinois (1-9, 0-3 Ohio Valley Conference), but it was blocked by Mike Rose.Adam Leonard was fouled and missed both free throws for Eastern Kentucky (5-5, 2-0), and a 55-foot attempt by Martin was short just before the buzzer.Dialls, who tied his career-high point total, and Rose scored 25 points apiece, while Leonard added 10. Dialls also had 11 rebounds for the first double-double of his career.Martin scored 28 for Eastern Illinois, and Bobby Catchings added 13.Eastern Kentucky went on a 9-2 run midway through the first half to go up 24-15 at the 6:02 mark, but the Panthers stayed close, trailing only 33-29 at the half.The Colonels increased their lead to 48-39 with 14:24 left, but Eastern Illinois fought back and tied the game at 55 on a three-point play by Ousmane Cisse with 7:45 left.Catchings scored 11 of his points in the second half and tied the scored at 69 on a 12-foot jumper with 48 seconds left.Eastern Illinois outrebounded Eastern Kentucky 37-27, but the Colonels hit 50.9 percent from the field, including a season-high 12-of-31 from 3-point range.
