CHARLESTON, Ill. (Interstat) — Southern Indiana survived a furious second-half rally by Eastern Illinois to secure a 70-68 men’s basketball victory Saturday at Lantz Arena. The Screaming Eagles built a 16-point halftime lead, but the Panthers stormed back after intermission. Zion Fruster scored 28 points for Eastern Illinois, and Meechie White added 17 points and six assists. Southern Indiana was led by Amaree Brown’s 22 points and a dominant defensive effort from Ola Ajiboye, who had 13 points, nine rebounds and five blocks. The Screaming Eagles sealed the win at the free-throw line, making 19 of 23 attempts, and hit nine 3-pointers. Southern Indiana improved to 7-20 overall. Eastern Illinois fell to 11-18. Attendance was 1,836.

CHARLESTON, Ill. (Interstat) — In a game defined by a staggering reversal of momentum, the Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles survived a furious second-half rally by the Eastern Illinois Panthers to escape with a 70-68 victory in an Ohio Valley Conference men’s basketball game Saturday at Lantz Arena. The outcome hinged on a dramatic final sequence. With the score tied and 11 seconds remaining, Eastern Illinois’ Terry McMorris was fouled and went to the line for two shots. He missed the first but made the second, giving the Panthers a one-point lead. Southern Indiana, without a timeout, rushed the ball upcourt. Ismail Habib, who had been fouled on the inbound pass, calmly sank two free throws with 11 seconds left to put the Screaming Eagles back in front. Eastern Illinois had a chance to win or force overtime on its final possession, but Markus Blackwell’s inbound pass was stolen by Southern Indiana’s Josiah Dunham with eight seconds to go. Dunham found Habib, who drilled a 3-pointer from the wing with two seconds on the clock to seal the victory, capping a chaotic finish that left the announced crowd of 1,836 stunned. The game’s most important stretch was not the final seconds, however, but the stark contrast between the two halves. Southern Indiana dominated the opening period, building a 36-20 lead by halftime. The Screaming Eagles shot efficiently from deep, hitting 7 of 12 3-pointers in the half, and their defense stifled the Panthers, who managed only 20 points on 25% shooting. The second half was a complete inversion. Eastern Illinois, led by a spectacular performance from Zion Fruster, erupted for 48 points. Fruster, a guard from Douglasville, Georgia, scored 24 of his game-high 28 points after intermission, relentlessly attacking the rim and sparking the comeback. The Panthers chipped away at the deficit, using a 17-7 advantage in fastbreak points and dominating the paint 36-18 for the game. Southern Indiana’s offense, so fluid in the first half, grew stagnant, scoring just 34 points after the break. Yet they made critical plays when needed. Amaree Brown of Chicago led the Screaming Eagles with 22 points, while Ola Ajiboye, also from Chicago, anchored the defense with 13 points, nine rebounds and five blocked shots. His interior presence was vital in weathering Eastern Illinois’ onslaught. The Panthers tied the game twice in the final five minutes, setting the stage for the frantic finish. Meechie White of Louisville, Kentucky, was instrumental in the rally, finishing with 17 points, six rebounds and six assists for Eastern Illinois. Kooper Jacobi of Sellersburg, Indiana, added 11 points and nine rebounds. Despite being outscored by 14 in the second half and surrendering 18 offensive rebounds, Southern Indiana found a way to win. They were more efficient from the floor, shooting 41.2% to Eastern Illinois’ 39.1%, and were lethal from the free-throw line, making 19 of 23 attempts. The Screaming Eagles also connected on 9 of 17 3-pointers, while the Panthers hit just 3 of 10 from beyond the arc. The victory improved Southern Indiana’s record to 7-20 overall. Eastern Illinois fell to 11-18. The Screaming Eagles avenged an overtime loss to the Panthers on Jan. 22. According to pregame analytics from National Statistical, Eastern Illinois was projected with a 79.6% probability to win and was installed as a 3.5-point favorite. The total score of 138 points went over the betting line of 132.5. Southern Indiana travels to face Morehead State on Tuesday. Eastern Illinois plays at Lindenwood on Thursday.

CHARLESTON, Ill. (Interstat) — A pair of Ohio Valley Conference men’s basketball teams seeking momentum will meet Saturday when Eastern Illinois hosts Southern Indiana at Lantz Arena. The Panthers (11-16) enter on a more positive note, having snapped a two-game skid with a 78-72 home victory over Arkansas-Little Rock on Feb. 14. Guard Zion Fruster led the way with 17 points, four rebounds and six assists, continuing a strong stretch where he has averaged 15.4 points over his last five contests. Eastern Illinois will rely on his backcourt production against a struggling Screaming Eagles defense. Southern Indiana (5-20) arrives mired in a six-game losing streak, most recently falling 82-74 to Tennessee Tech on Feb. 14. Despite the team’s struggles, guard Ismail Habib has been a bright spot, averaging 17.2 points over his last five games, including a 20-point performance at Southeast Missouri State on Feb. 7. The Screaming Eagles’ offense has frequently stalled, failing to reach 60 points in three of those six losses. This matchup is a quick rematch of a Jan. 22 meeting in Evansville, which Eastern Illinois won 59-51 in overtime. In that defensive struggle, Southern Indiana shot just 28.8% from the field. Reversing that offensive inefficiency will be paramount for the visiting Screaming Eagles. The game pits one of the conference’s lower-tier offenses in Southern Indiana against an Eastern Illinois squad that has shown inconsistency but possesses more proven scoring options. The Panthers won the rebounding battle decisively in the first meeting, 45-34, an area Southern Indiana must improve to have a chance on the road. Saturday’s contest offers Eastern Illinois an opportunity to build a winning streak and improve its seeding for the upcoming OVC tournament, while Southern Indiana desperately seeks a spark to salvage the final weeks of its season. Tipoff is set for 4:15 p.m. EST.