CHARLESTON, Ill. (Interstat) — In a game defined by runs and missed opportunities, the Eastern Illinois Panthers used a decisive second-half surge and superior execution at the free-throw line to outlast the Arkansas-Little Rock Trojans 78-72 in an Ohio Valley Conference men’s basketball game Saturday at Lantz Arena.

A crowd of 1,214 saw the Panthers improve to 11-16 overall, while the Trojans fell to 10-17. The game, which featured 12 lead changes and was tied on eight occasions, ultimately swung on a critical stretch early in the second half.

After a tightly contested first half that saw Eastern Illinois take a narrow 34-30 lead into the break, the Panthers emerged from halftime with heightened intensity. They opened the second period on a 13-4 run, fueled by a three-pointer from Meechie White and a pair of baskets from Kooper Jacobi and Nazareth Fisher. That burst extended their lead to 47-34, the largest of the game for either team, and forced Arkansas-Little Rock into a defensive scramble from which it never fully recovered.

The Trojans, demonstrating the resilience they showed in a 74-63 home win over these same Panthers back in January, chipped away at the deficit. A 12-3 run of their own, capped by a three-pointer from Kachi Nzeh, brought them within 56-52 with just over 11 minutes to play. But every time Arkansas-Little Rock threatened, Eastern Illinois had an answer, often in the form of a drive to the basket that drew a foul.

The most important part of the game proved to be Eastern Illinois’s ability to capitalize on Arkansas-Little Rock’s mistakes and convert at the charity stripe. The Panthers scored 20 points off 10 Trojan turnovers and, more critically, made 22 of 30 free throws. Arkansas-Little Rock, by contrast, managed only 11 of 18 from the line. In the final 90 seconds, with the Trojans forced to foul, Eastern Illinois sealed the victory by making 8 of 10 free-throw attempts.

Zion Fruster orchestrated the Panther offense, leading all players with 17 points and six assists. His backcourt partner, Meechie White, added 19 points, including three crucial three-pointers. The frontcourt duo of Nazareth Fisher and Kooper Jacobi provided a major boost, combining for 20 points and 17 rebounds, with Fisher just missing a double-double with 10 points and nine boards.

Arkansas-Little Rock was led by a balanced scoring effort. Truman Claytor came off the bench to score 17 points, while Kachi Nzeh posted 13 points and seven rebounds. Braxton Bayless facilitated with 12 points and six assists, and Johnathan Lawson filled the stat sheet with 12 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Cameron Wallace added 10 points and seven rebounds.

Despite shooting a slightly better percentage from the field (45.0% to 39.1%), the Trojans were undone by their work on the glass and at the line. Eastern Illinois dominated the offensive rebounds 18-10, leading to a 19-9 advantage in second-chance points. The Panthers also held edges in assists (7-4), steals (7-4), and points in the paint (34-30).

The victory gave Eastern Illinois a season split in the series and moved them ahead of Arkansas-Little Rock in the conference standings. The Trojans will look to regroup when they host Tennessee-Martin on Thursday. Eastern Illinois continues its homestand against Morehead State the same night.