SIU Edwardsville Cougars @ Eastern Illinois Panthers
SIU-Edwardsville beats Eastern Illinois behind Eslik's 29
CHARLESTON, Ill. -- Burak Eslik scored 29 points and made all 12 of his free throws to lead Southern Illinois-Edwardsville over Eastern Illinois 72-64 on Saturday night to end a six-game skid.
Grant Fiorentinos scored 14 points and Michael Chandler blocked three shots for the Cougars (5-20, 2-11 Ohio Valley Conference), who outrebounded the Panthers 46-25 and shot 41.5 percent from the field.
Trailing by 10 at halftime, Luke Piotrowski hit a free throw to pull the Panthers within a point, 34-33, early in the second half, but the Cougars replied with an 11-2 run capped by Eslik's back-to-back 3s for a 45-35 lead.
Cornell Johnston's free throw pulled the Panthers within 61-57 with 1:22 left, but Eslik made a layup and sank eight free throws down the stretch to help seal the win.
Trae Anderson scored 29 points on 10-of-21 shooting for Eastern Illinois (11-15, 7-6).
Game Information
Charleston, IL
Referee:Ford Branch Jr
Referee:Kelly Davis
Referee:Jabir Walker
2025-26 Standings
| Ohio Valley ConferenceOhio Valley Conference | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee State | 15-5 | - | 23-10 |
| Morehead State | 15-5 | - | 20-13 |
| Southeast Missouri State | 14-6 | 1 | 20-13 |
| UT Martin | 13-7 | 2 | 22-11 |
| SIU Edwardsville | 12-8 | 3 | 19-13 |
| Lindenwood | 11-9 | 4 | 18-15 |
| Little Rock | 9-11 | 6 | 12-20 |
| Tennessee Tech | 8-12 | 7 | 13-18 |
| Eastern Illinois | 8-12 | 7 | 13-20 |
| Southern Indiana | 4-16 | 11 | 7-23 |
| Western Illinois | 1-19 | 14 | 5-26 |
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