Eastern had six players record double-digit points in the 97-61 win over Earlham College Wednesday evening in Groniger Arena.
Senior guard NaKyel Shelton scored the first points of the game with a midrange jumper.
“We had a lot of guys that scored and double figures and gave max[imum] effort,” Shelton said.
Shelton ended the game with 14 points, six rebounds, one steal and one assist.
Although the game was back and forth early on, the Panthers recorded an 11-0 run to give them a 22-8 lead early in the first half. Sophomore guard Isaiah Griffin recorded two three-pointers in this sequence of points by the Panthers.
“Preparation and being in the gym everyday and waiting for my number to be called was crucial for me,” Griffin said. “Having the mental awareness of knowing how the game is going and what’s going on is important. I got to give credit to my teammates because they put me in positions to be successful.”
Griffin ended the game with 10 points, three rebounds and one assist.
Four more Panthers scored double figure points: redshirt junior guard Obadiah Curtis (13), junior guard Zion Fruster (15), graduate forward Kooper Jacobi (16) and graduate guard Artese Stapleton (17).
“I thought Jacobi with a double-double, I thought Stapleton with 17 [points] and eight assists, and I really thought Shelton played really hard,” Eastern’s head coach Marty Simmons said. “Fruster got into foul trouble in the first half, and I thought he came back out in the second half and played extremely well. Obadiah gave us a big lift by attacking and getting to the rim. I thought we had a lot of guys that played well tonight.”
Jacobi recorded his first double-double of the season with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Jacobi also recorded three steals and one assist.
Eastern continued to dominate for the rest of the game as Earlham never led throughout the game. At the end of the first half, Eastern was ahead by 21 points.
The Panthers continued to dominate in the second half as the team went on multiple runs. Eastern went on a 17-2 run to increase the margin to 40 points midway through the second half.
“I felt like the team did great offensively and defensively,” Fruster said. “We were executing assignments, turning over the ball and getting steals, assisting each other; I felt like we played as a whole group tonight.”
Throughout the game, Stapleton and senior forward Roldolfo Bolis were seen on the court and on the bench encouraging the team to stay in the game.
“I think Artese is a good leader,” Simmons said. “He’s very vocal and enthusiastic. We’ve tried to cultivate it in Rodolfo. I think they all bring their own type of leadership. We’ve got an older, mature team, and I think that’s a good thing for us.”
Bolis ended the game with seven rebounds and one assist. Stapleton led the Panthers in points along with eight assists, two steals and two rebounds.
“We took a step forward,” Stapleton said. “We just got to continue to grow and stay together.”
The Panthers’ next game will be against the Indiana Hoosiers at the Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana. Tip-off is scheduled for 11 a.m.
