Guard Reggie Smith scored 15 points in the Eastern men’s basketball team’s 67-64 win over Austin Peay Saturday at Lantz Arena.

Leading 65-64 with 16 seconds remaining, forward Sherman Blanford tipped in a missed shot by Luke Piotrowski off the backboard to give Eastern a three-point lead.

On the ensuing possession, Austin Peay’s Damarius Smith missed a three pointer from the left baseline as time expired and the Governors dropped to 8-11 overall and 2-3 in Ohio Valley Conference action.

The Panthers improved to 3-4 in the OVC and 6-12 overall.

Smith was 6-of-10 from the field and shot 50 percent from 3-point range, including a 3-pointer with one minute left that gave Eastern a 65-61 lead.

Austin Peay’s Travis Betran answered with a 3-pointer of his own with 45 second left to cut the Governor’s deficit down to one, before the Governors missed their final shot attempt to tie the game. Austin Peay shot 21 percent from the 3-point line.

Smith added five assists and two steals in the win, as he scored 42 points in the Panthers’ last two games, scoring a career-high 27 points in a 70-66 loss to Murray State Thursday.

Around the OVC

Southern Illinois-Edwardsville’s Rozell Nunn and Christian Salecich combined for 33 points, as the Cougars held Murray State to a season-low 60 points in a 67-60 win.

The Racers previously beat Eastern on Thursday 70-66 in Lantz Arena. Each team in the Ohio Valley Conference now has at least one loss, as Murray State, the last to remain unbeaten in conference play, fell to 5-1 with the loss.

Nunn led all scorers with a career-high 20 points on 8-of-12 shooting from the field. He also led the team with seven rebounds.

The junior has combined for 35 points on 14-of-23 shooting and hauled in 13 rebounds during Edwardsville’s last two games.

Salecich finished with 13 points thanks in large part to a 3-of-3 afternoon from beyond 3-point range. He added four assists and three steals. Salecich’s had a 3-pointer with 8:33 to play that put the Cougars in front for good at 54-53.

The Cougars shot 50 percent from the field while the Racers shot 39 percent, which included 4-of-21 from 3-point range.

Belmont, the only other team with five wins, improved to 5-1 by using an efficient first half to defeat Tennessee State, 79-65 Saturday night.

The Bruins shot 53 percent in the first half and limited the Tigers to 31 percent shooting in building a 41-19 halftime lead.

But a near seven minute field goal drought to open the second half enabled Tennessee State to close within single digits.

The Tigers got within six points with six minutes remaining, before five straight points from freshman Evan Bradds and a 3-pointer by Drew Windler stretched the margin back out to double figures.

Morehead State, one of the OVC’s hottest teams, winning five of its last six games, improved to 4-1 in conference with an 82-75 win over Tennessee-Martin.

Junior guard Angelo Warner tied his career-high with 25 points on 8-of-12 shooting and 9-of-11 from the free throw line.

For the 48 time in his career, Warner has scored at least 10 points, including 19 of the Eagles’ 20 games this season.

With the win, the Eagles move into second place in the east division and third overall in the OVC.

Anthony Catezone can be reached at 581-2812 or ajcatezone@eiu.edu.