Eastern Illinois drops Eastern Kentucky 68-61

Mar 3, 2010 - 4:13 AM CHARLESTON, Ill(AP) -- T.J. Marion scored 15 points and Eastern Illinois ran its winning streak to eight with a 68-61 victory over Eastern Kentucky in the Ohio Valley Conference tournament quarterfinals Tuesday night.

Tyler Laser and Jeremy Granger added 14 points apiece for the fourth-seeded Panthers (19-11), who will play top-seeded Murray State in the semifinals Friday. James Hollowell had 10 points and eight rebounds.

Justin Stommes had four 3-pointers among his 14 points to pace the fifth-seeded Colonels (20-12). Spencer Perrin and Papa Oppong added 13 points apiece.

The Panthers shot 61.5 percent (24 of 39) to the Colonels' 41.0 percent (25 of 61) and outrebounded them 34-18.

Eastern Kentucky trailed only 54-53 before Marion's layup began a 10-2 Eastern Illinois surge that made it 64-55 with 2:13 to play. The Colonels cut it to 64-61, but Hollowell scored and Granger hit two foul shots to wrap it up.