EIU pulls another rally and upset, wins 83-80 in overtime

Feb 23, 2020, 12:30 am

CHARLESTON, Ill. -- Josiah Wallace scored 23 points, including the go-ahead free throws in overtime, and Eastern Illinois again used its comeback magic to knock off another Ohio Valley Conference leader with an 83-80 victory over Austin Peay on Saturday.

EIU was coming off a 63-60 win over Murray State on Thursday in which the Huskies rallied from a 27-point deficit in the second half, winning on Wallace's buzzer-beating 3-pointer. Saturday, the Huskies used a 19-6 run to tie the game with just over three minutes left in regulation. The game went to overtime at 73-all after the Governors' Jordyn Adams missed a floater at the buzzer.

In overtime, two Terry Taylor baskets gave Austin Peay a 79-76 lead. Wallace then staged his own 5-1 rally with two free throws giving EIU an 82-80 lead with 51 seconds remaining. The Governors missed two shots before EIU got the rebound and Mack Smith made 1 of 2 at the line. Carlos Paez then missed a hurried 3-pointer.

Smith scored 15 points, George Dixon had 14 with 11 rebounds and Shareef Smith scored 10 points for EIU (14-14, 7-9).

Adams made five 3-pointers and scored 31 points and Taylor had 26 points and 16 rebounds for Austin Peay. Eli Abaev grabbed 11 rebounds.

The Governors (19-10, 13-3) dropped into a first-place tie with Murray State.

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