CHARLESTON, Ill -- T.J. Marion scored 15 points and Eastern Illinois ran its winning streak to eight with a 68-61 victory over Eastern Kentucky in the Ohio Valley Conference tournament quarterfinals Tuesday night.
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Tyler Laser and Jeremy Granger added 14 points apiece for the fourth-seeded Panthers (19-11), who will play top-seeded Murray State in the semifinals Friday. James Hollowell had 10 points and eight rebounds.
Justin Stommes had four 3-pointers among his 14 points to pace the fifth-seeded Colonels (20-12). Spencer Perrin and Papa Oppong added 13 points apiece.
The Panthers shot 61.5 percent (24 of 39) to the Colonels' 41.0 percent (25 of 61) and outrebounded them 34-18.
Eastern Kentucky trailed only 54-53 before Marion's layup began a 10-2 Eastern Illinois surge that made it 64-55 with 2:13 to play. The Colonels cut it to 64-61, but Hollowell scored and Granger hit two foul shots to wrap it up.
