Recap: SIU Edwardsville vs. Eastern Ill

Edwardsville, IL (Sports Network) - Mark Yelovich scored 13 points as the SIU Edwardsville Cougars got past the Eastern Illinois Panthers, 49-45, in an Ohio Valley Conference clash at the Vadalabene Center.

Kris Davis added 11 points for the Cougars (8-11, 4-5 OVC) and Jerome Jones chipped in 10 points.

For the Panthers (6-17, 3-7), Morris Woods led the way with 16 points, while Sherman Blanford pulled down nine rebounds.

SIUE shot just 40 percent, but did hit 3-of-10 from 3-point range in the first half. EIU shot 39.1 percent and missed all but one of its eight 3-point tries, though they did outscore the Cougars 4-0 at the free-throw line as the teams went into halftime knotted at 23-23.

The Panthers shot just 33.3 percent from the field and missed all nine of their 3-point tries. Though they made only 31.8 percent of their shots from the field in the second half, the Cougars did connect on 3-of-9 from beyond the 3-point arc after halftime.

The Panthers led by as many as 10, but a 15-2 run by the Cougars put them ahead 42-39 with less than seven minutes to play. EIU was able to retake the lead, but SIUE finished the game on a 7-2 run to secure the victory.

EIU, which shot only 1-of-17 beyond the arc, had a big edge on points in the paint, 30-14.