The Eastern men’s basketball team dropped their second road game in a row Thursday night against second place Belmont.  

On Monday night against Austin Peay, the Panthers shot 37 percent from the field and zero percent from 3-point range. Against the Bruins, the Panthers shot 42.9 percent both from the field and the 3-point line, resulting in an 81-57 loss. 

The Panthers used the Bruins’ slow start offensively in the first half to their advantage and were able to tie it with about 11 minutes left. However, a series of turnovers made by the Panthers allowed the Bruins to gain momentum and pull ahead 31-20 leading into halftime.  

With 16 minutes to go in the second half, the Panthers were able to cut the lead down from 11 points to seven points with the help of forwards Sammy Friday IV and Paul Bizimana. A 6-0 run by the Bruins helped fuel the second half momentum, ultimately sealing the win for the Bruins.  

The Panthers had two players in double figures with fifth year senior guard Kashawn Charles leading the way with 15 points, going 5-of-12 from the field. Friday IV added 15 points and went 6-of-6 from the field.   

The Bruins also had two players in double figures with center Nick Muszynski leading the team with 20 points and six rebounds, going 10-of-12 from the field. Junior guard Ben Sheppard had 16 points, going 7-of-11 from the field with two assists. These two offensive performances led to an overall field goal percentage of 59 percent. 

The Panthers were outrebounded by the Bruins 32-25 which led to them only having two second chance points. The Bruins capitalized on the 17 turnovers made by the Panthers, allowing them to score 21 points. The Bruins only turned the ball over 11 times in the entire contest. 

The Panthers will travel to Gentry Center to take on Tennessee State on Saturday afternoon with tipoff set for 3 p.m.  

Autumn Schulz can be reached at 581-2812 acschulz@eiu.edu.