Senior Demetrius McReynolds and junior Muusa Dama both notched season high point totals, recording double doubles in the process, but the Panthers fell to Austin Peay 92-84.

McReynolds finished with 32 points and 12 rebounds. Dama scored 16 points, topping his former career high he set last game against Murray State, and grabbed 10 rebounds.

McReynolds made 13 baskets to give him his 32 points and only three of those were 3-pointers and he was able to do that because he was doing “a bunch of other things,” Spoonhour said. And that’s how you score a lot of points.

Eastern was able to get the ball down low more and were able to feed Dama the ball more and McReynolds was driving to the basket including a big dunk in the face of an Austin Peay defender.

Dama said he has been working on his post play with McReynolds and Spoonhour.

And when the lane was not open, Eastern had jumpers to take, which was part of the problem against Murray State, but had better shot selection this time around and Spoonhour said it’s just a matter of time until they figure it all out.

“You recognize the things you get better at and they’re attitude, the stuff that they’re saying it’s not put on. That’s how they are everyday,” Spoonhour said. “I truly feel that we’re going to figure it all out.”

The loss dropped the Panthers to 1-4 in Ohio Valley Conference play; and looking at the talent the Panthers have all around, the record does not speak for that.

Eastern has much of its season left, but still cannot afford to lose the games they are losing.

“You’re early in the thing, but you’re running out of games to figure stuff out,” Spoonhour said. “The thing I told (the team) is I feel like their effort and approach to everything is good, but we’re doing some fatal things you can’t do to win games.”

Some of those fatal things include putting a player on the line after having a good possession and give them points and give opponents easy offensive put backs.

Spoonhour said the Panthers give up more And-1’s than any team he has ever had.

And as Spoonhour said, he was fine with the shots the Panthers took against Austin Peay, but they have to be able to knock down an open shot.

Junior Montell Goodwin and sophomore Casey Teson each had open 3-pointers, but were unable to sink them.

“You get Casey Teson to shoot an open 3, what do you want him to do?” Spoonhour said. “He’s got to shoot it in.”

Going forward Spoonhour will take those shots each game, he said.

Sean Hastings can be reached at 581-2812 or smhastings@eiu.edu