CHARLESTON, ILL. — The Chicago State men's basketball team couldn't overcome a slow shooting start and fell, 78-56, to Eastern Illinois Thursday afternoon at First Mid Court at Lantz Arena in Charleston.
The Cougars connected on just 4-of-21 (19 percent) of its shots in the first half and trailed 37-14 after the first 20 minutes. The slow start proved to be too much to overcome.
The Cougars found their offensive rhythm in the second half and converted four of their first five shots, matching the first-half output in the first three and a half minutes. Chicago State outscored the Panthers, 42-41, in the second half while committing just three second-half turnovers. For the game, the Cougars committed 18 turnovers, which Eastern Illinois turned into 22 points.
Chicago State boasted a balanced scoring attack, led by
Isaiah Lewis (Romulus, Mich./) and
Levelle Zeigler (Oakland, Calif. /Ridgeview HS), with 11 points apiece.
Aaris-Monte Bonds (Denver, CO/Martin Luther King Jr. Early College) contributed 10 points and eight revounds.
Xavier Johnson (Dallas, Texas/Hopkins H.S.) poured in seven points and
Rajeir Jones (Baltimore, Md./St. Frances Academy) scored six.
In their four games so far this season, the Cougars have featured a different high-scorer in each game (
Lou Demuth (Luxembourg City, Luxembourg) vs. Ohio,
Xavier Johnson (Dallas, Texas/Hopkins H.S.) vs. Illinois and
Jordan Polynice (San Clarita, Calif. /West Ranch/North Dakota Co. School)/
Rajeir Jones (Baltimore, Md./St. Frances Academy) vs. North Carolina A&T).
Sammy Friday IV scored a career-high 16 points for the Panthers and led all players in scoring. Josiah Wallace contributed 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting, followed by Jordan Skipper-Brown who scored 13 for Eastern Illinois.
The Cougars will travel to Evanston, Illinois, to face the Northwestern Wildcats on Saturday, December 5, at Welsh-Ryan Arena. The game time has yet to be announced.
For the latest information on Chicago State Cougars athletics, follow the Cougars on social media at @ChiStateCougars on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and keep up to date with all the athletics information and news at GoCSUCougars.com.
Quotables (Associate Head Coach Rodell Davis):
- On LeVelle Ziegler's performance: "LeVelle played within the offense and set the table for us. He was able to push the ball when we needed. He's a guy who can do a little bit of everything, and I'm excited to have him back on the court."
- On cutting turnovers: "As we continue to grow as teammates, we'll cut our turnovers down. You saw that in the second half. We had 15 in the first half and wound up with 18 for the game."
- On Aaris-Monte Bonds (Denver, CO/Martin Luther King Jr. Early College): "He really goes after it. He doesn't back down from anybody. I can play him in multiple positions. He can guard a 7-footer or go out on the wing. Offensively, he has a knack for the ball. What we need him to do more is attack."
Next:
- Who? Northwestern
- Where? Welsh-Ryan Arena, Evanston, IL
- When? Saturday, December 5, 2020
- Broadcast: BTN, Audio on WAC Digital Network
