 EASTERN ILLINOIS 75, TOLEDO 58 ROCKETS USES FIVE ‘SCHOLIES”
UT utilized just five scholarship and eight total players in the contest following the loss of freshman G Reese Holliday for the season due to a stress fracture. Holliday was leading the team with 6.6 rpg and ranked second with 10.5 ppg.
Junior G Jay Shunnar topped the Rockets offensively with 16 points, one shy of his career-best 17 points at IPFW earlier this season. Senior F Justin Anyijong was also in double figures with 12 points, while sophomore G Malcolm Griffin dished out a game-high eight assists.
Junior G Jeremy Granger was one of four Panthers to score in double figures and finished with a game-high 20 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.
SHOOTING AND REBOUND DISPARITIES
Toledo (4-23) was limited to a 39.6 field-goal percentage, including a 35.7 mark in the second half. The Panthers converted 48.0 percent of their shots in addition to knocking down an impressive 20-of-22 shots (90.9 percent) from the charity stripe. EIU also held a commanding 36-22 advantage on the boards.
The Panthers never trailed in the contest and were able to answer each attempted rally by the Rockets.
UT trailed 9-2 early before climbing within 13-12 on freshman C Delino Dear's layup nearly midway through the first half. The Rockets then found themselves down 24-15 before coming within 30-28 on a Shunnar trey late in the first half. EIU quickly answered though when Granger beat the buzzer with a three-pointer to end the opening stanza.
SECOND HALF RUN FADES
Toledo came out of the locker room and quickly cut into EIU's lead. The Rockets opened the half strong, reducing their deficit to 35-34 less than three minutes in. A five-minute scoreless drought ensued, though, and UT found itself down 47-34 with 12:45 remaining.
The Rockets then came within six points, 55-49, on freshman F Jess Chadwell's trey with 8:12 remaining but that was as close as UT would get.
Toledo will return back to conference action when its travels to Kalamazoo to battle MAC West Division leader Western Michigan (15-10, 7-4 MAC) Wednesday, Feb. 23. Tip-off time is set for 7:00 p.m.
Courtesy of Toledo Athletics |
