CHARLESTON, Ill. – The Jacksonville State men's basketball team used a second-half surge to earn a runaway 75-56 win over Eastern Illinois on Thursday at Lantz Arena.
 
Junior Christian Cunningham tallied his second double-double in as many games with 12 points and 10 rebounds, while fellow junior Jason Burnell scored 11 of his team-high 17 points in the second half to secure the 19-point win.
 
Cunningham's double-double was his seventh of the season and 14th of his career – both team-bests among active Gamecocks.
 
Jacksonville State outscored EIU 44-27 in the second half and scored the half's first 11 consecutive points. JSU led by three at the half, but six consecutive points from Cunningham to begin the period helped push the Gamecocks' lead to eight.
 
The JSU defense limited the Panthers to 19-for-51 overall, a 37.3 shooting percentage, while the Gamecocks shot 50.8% for the game. Jacksonville State, led by Cunningham's 10 boards, outrebounded Eastern Illinois 37-30, while the defense forced 14 Panther turnovers.
 
Despite scoring the game's first four points, the Gamecocks hit a scoring drought and saw the Panthers go on a 12-0, three-minute run. JSU trailed by as much as 10 at the 11:40 mark, down 18-8 nearly halfway through the first period, but the tides began turning just one minute later.
 
Following EIU's 12-point run, the JSU defense tightened up and allowed just four field goals for the remainder of the half. From the 10:51 mark until the end of the half, Jacksonville State outscored the Panthers 21-11.
 
During the Gamecocks' near 11-minute, 21-11 run, Burnell totaled a team-best six points and Malcolm Drumwright tallied five. The offense was 8-for-13 during the stretch, while the defense came away with two steals and forced five EIU turnovers, helping Jacksonville State to a 31-29 advantage at the half.
 
Tickets are now available for purchase online at JSUGamecocksTickets.com, by phone at (256) 782-8499 and on campus at the JSU Ticket Office at Kennamer Hall. Children 18-years-old and under and JSU students are admitted free.
 
The Gamecocks wrap up their road trip to the Land of Lincoln with a 1 p.m. matchup with SIUE on Saturday. The OVC contest is set to air on the OVC Digital Network and Fox Sports Midwest.
 
For more information on the JSU men's basketball team, follow the Gamecocks on Twitter (@JSU_MBB). For more on all Gamecocks sports teams, follow the official social media accounts of JSU Athletics on Twitter (@JSUGamecocks), Facebook (Facebook.com/JSUGamecocks), Instagram (@JSUGamecocks) and Snapchat (@JSUGamecocks).