Forward Sherman Blanford had just scored a fast-break layup for the Eastern men’s basketball team, cutting its deficit to four points against the Ohio Valley Conference west division leader Murray State.

The Panthers had six minutes left to muster up a lead, and with ample opportunity in front of them. But they were unable to capitalize, losing 72-60 Saturday night in Murray, Ky., damaging their postseason hopes.

With the Panthers still trailing 58-54, the Racers’ T.J. Sapp missed a jumper with 5:42 remaining. Eastern rebounded the ball, but on the ensuing possession Zach Dickerson turned the ball over.

Jarvis Williams, who forced the turnover, made 1-of-2 free throws for Murray State. And even with a missed 3-pointer off the offensive rebound by the Racers, Eastern trailed by just five.

But three missed shots and a turnover followed on the Panthers’ next four possessions allowed the Racers to take 68-54 lead with two minutes left behind a 10-0 run capped off by a Jeffery Moss 3-pointer.

A stretch that Eastern coach Jay Spoonhour credited to Murray State’s offensive rebounds.

“We had people out there who should have been able to get rebounds, but Murray State got the offensive rebounds,” Spoonhour said in a press release.

Eastern guard Reggie Smith had little to no playing time for the second consecutive game. Smith was one of five players who sat out in the Panthers’ 88-83 loss against Austin Peay Thursday.

“They broke team rules,” Spoonhour said. “They were out after curfew. If you do that the night before this game, an important game, that tells me your head isn’t in the right place.”

But against Murray State, Smith would have played had he not been injured.

“He got knocked down a couple of times,” Spoonhour said. “He could have helped us. He really played well. He said, ‘coach, I’m trying’ — he was holding his side.”

Smith played just 11 minutes and scored just two points off free throws while going 0-of-2 from the field.

As for Blanford, he scored a game-high 26 points with eight rebounds. It was the fifth consecutive game that the Panthers’ only senior scored 20 points or more, following two career high with 32 points and 18 rebounds at Austin Peay.

Forward Chris Olivier was the only other Panther to score in double figures with 14 points. Murray State had four players score in double digits and two players with nine points apiece, Moss scoring a team-high 18 points.

Eastern fell to 6-8 in the OVC and remains seventh overall, where the top eight teams make the postseason tournament. Murray State built its lead as the top team in the west division, improving to 11-2 in the OVC.

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