Scoreless Stretch Sinks Panthers, 69-58
Panthers held without a field goal in last seven minutes
12/9/2009 10:25:59 PM
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CHARLESTON, Ill. – Eastern Illinois was held without a field goal for the final 7:06 of regulation while Western Michigan senior guard David Kool scored 34 points as the visiting Broncos (3-3) picked up a 69-58 win over the Panthers (4-4) on Wednesday night at Lantz Arena.
Trailing by nine points with 12:04 left in the game Eastern Illinois climbed to within 56-53 with 7:06 left on a T.J. Marion jumper in the paint. The Panthers would tie the game at 56-56 at the 4:38 mark as Curry McKinney sank a pair of free throws and Ousmane Cisse was 1-of-2 from the stripe.
EIU would score only two more points the remainder of the game going 0-for-6 from the field in the final four minutes. The two points were scored by Tyler Laser on a pair of free throws as Laser led the Panthers with 17.
Kool, a Michigan Mr. Basketball, helped the Broncos build a 33-28 halftime edge as he scored 19 first half points going 7-of-12 from the field and 5-of-8 from 3-point range. Kool was held to just four points in the early portion of the second half but scored eight points in the final 4:38 to help WMU pull away. Martelle McLemore added 10 of his 12 points in the second half.
The Panthers would shoot 41 percent from the field but just 1-of-10 from 3-point range. Western Michigan was 10-of-25 from 3-point range despite being limited to just 38 percent shooting for the game. The Broncos dominated play on the glass by a 43-31 margin including 21 offensive rebounds which led to a 19-6 advantage in second chance points.
Cisse finished with eight points and 10 rebounds. The Panthers return to action on Saturday evening with a 7 p.m. contest at Western Illinois.