RICHMOND, Ky. — Georgia Southern Men’s Basketball erased an eight-point halftime deficit to lead with less than three minutes remaining, but a 10-6 run down the stretch gave Eastern Kentucky a 63-59 win on Saturday night. Eric Ferguson scored 19 points on the night as the Eagles forced the Colonels to play inside the perimeter for the first time this season. EKU scored just two three-pointers, six off its season average.

"We played very poorly offensively tonight and still had a chance to win the game," said Head Coach Charlton "C.Y." Young. "Our team needs to learn how to get over the hump when playing on the road, and we will get three more chances over the next few weeks. We are a championship level team in training."

Ferguson’s 19 points went with four rebounds, finishing the night a perfect 9-for-9 from the field. GSU (3-5, 2-0 SoCon) shot 61.5% percent from the field in the second half to finish 24-for-50 from the field. Willie Powers III paired six assists with 13 points to will the Eagles back into the game.

Ben Drayton III scored 10 points with three rebounds. Georgia Southern’s lone junior, Cameron Baskerville had a solid night with eight points, four rebounds, and a block. Baskerville led the Eagles at the free throw line, shooting 4-for-4.

Eastern Kentucky (6-5, 0-0 OVC) was led by a game-high 20 points from Jaron Jones. The Colonels shot just 18% from beyond the arc and posted a 58% mark in the first half before shooting 41% in the second half.

The Eagles trailed by 30-22 at the halftime interval, but cut the lead to four out of the break. The lead gradually grew to eight points with 6:50 remaining, but the Eagles went on a 10-2 run to tie the game, 53-53 with 3:40 left in the contest.

Georgia Southern took its first lead of the game with 2:43 remaining, but saw EKU roar back to out-score the Eagles, 10-6, over the final two and a half minutes.

The Eagles struggled from the free throw line, shooting 9-of-18 to EKU’s 13-of-16. Georgia Southern made just two three-pointers in the game, the lowest total this year for the Eagles.