CHARLESTON, Ill. – Despite monster games from Jalen Billups and Lavone Holland II, the NKU men’s basketball team fell in overtime Saturday night to Eastern Illinois, 79-73.

NKU trailed by two, 60-58, with 1:44 left in regulation. Holland scored on a dunk off of a fastbreak to tie the game at 60 with 1:06 remaining.

Jake Giesler gave the Norse a 62-60 lead with 37 seconds remaining with two free throws. Eastern Illinois would tie the game at 62 with 17 seconds left thanks to a Cornell Johnston jumper.

Tyler White had a shot to win the game in regulation, but it missed and the game went to overtime.

In overtime, a layup by Holland gave the Norse a 67-66 lead with 3:33 remaining. It would prove to be NKU’s final lead of the game. An 11-2 Eastern Illinois run put the game away.

Holland came close once again to a triple-double. He had 17 points, 12 rebounds, 7 assists and 4 steals. Billups had 17 points and 10 rebounds. Tyler White also scored in double figures with 12 points.

Johnston led Eastern Illinois with 24 points. Trae Anderson had a double-double with 19 points and 12 rebounds. AJ Riley added 12 points.

NKU returns to action 7 p.m. Sunday as part of a women’s and men’s doubleheader at BB&T Arena. The women start at 4:30 against West Virginia State while the men play Norfolk State.

Summary

@ Lantz Arena, Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois 79, Northern Kentucky 73

N – 31 – 31 – 11 — 73
E – 32 – 30 – 17 — 79

(73) NORTHERN KENTUCKY (fg-3fg-ft-tp) Garnett 2-0-3-7, Billups 7-0-3-17, White 3-3-3-12, Holland 8-0-1-17, Murray 3-2-0-8, Giesler 3-0-2-8, McDonald 2-0-0-4. TOTALS 28-5-12-73.

(79) EASTERN ILLINOIS (fg-3fg-ft-tp) Anderson 7-0-5-19, Johnston 8-3-5-24, Teson 3-3-0-9, Riley 3-0-6-12, Johnson 1-1-0-3, Blackmon 4-0-0-8, Kuligoski 1-0-0-2, Piotrowski 1-0-0-2. TOTALS 28-7-16-79.

FIELD GOALS: N 28/67 (Holland 8/17, Billups 7/10); E 28/56 (Johnston 8/14, Anderson 7/15, Blackmon 4/5)

3 POINT FIELD GOALS: N 5/26 (White 3/10, Murray 2/7); E 7/18 (Johnston 3/5, Teson 3/6)

FREE THROW: N 12/18 (Garnett 3/4, Billups 3/5, White 3/4); E 16/27 (Riley 6/9, Anderson 5/6, Johnston 5/6)

REBOUNDS: N 45 (Holland 12, Billups 10, Giesler 7, Garnett 6); E 34 (Anderson 12, Riley 5, Kuligoski 4)

ASSISTS: N 15 (White 7, Holland 7); E 15 (Anderson 4, Riley 4, Teson 3)

STEALS: N 5 (Holland 4); E 8 (Blackmon 3)

BLOCKED SHOTS: N 2 (Billups 2); E 3

TURNOVERS: N 19; E 15