The Eastern men’s basketball team’s 88-79 loss to Southeast Missouri Tuesday at Lantz Arena showed an offensive balance that head coach Rick Samuels had been looking for.

Four Panthers scored double figures in the loss: junior guard Josh Gomes (21), freshman guard Bobby Catchings (16), senior guard Emanuel Dildy (15) and senior forward Aaron Patterson (11).

Trouble was, the other five Panthers who played combined for only nine points.

“You just can’t have starters scoring; you need everyone on the team to contribute,” Catchings said. “It’s a team sport – you just can’t do it with four or five guys.”

Samuels said he challenged Catchings to put in a double-figure scoring night.

“We talked a little before the game,” Samuels said. “He’s got to start getting double-figure points for us.”

Catchings responded, curling off of screens to hit two three-point baskets and driving to the rim for his other hoops.

Extra sources of offense have been inconsistent all season.

Gomes and Dildy, the Panthers’ two leading scorers, are averaging a combined 32.2 points per game while the rest of the team is averaging 35.1 points a game.

The Panthers’ other three starters, Catchings, Patterson and freshman forward George Tandy, are averaging 22.1 points per game, meaning the Panthers are getting 13 points per game from the bench.

Samuels said his team’s success has a lot to do with contributions off the bench.

“We do need to find some points off the bench, and it may be different people,” Samuels said. “(Senior forward) Andy Gobczynski had 13 points at Tennessee-Martin. (Freshman guard) Bil Duany needs to get some points. (Senior guard) Jason Wright needs to get some baskets.”

In the Panthers’ loss to SEMO Tuesday, Catchings said the team didn’t seem focused.

“We need to get together as a team and be like, ‘We can’t keep losing like this,'” he said. “We need to come out with some energy.”

Samuels said the lack of energy was visible.

“Our eyes looked tired at the end of the game,” he said.

In the game, only one player from the bench logged over 20 minutes of playing time -Gobczynski.

But Catchings and Gomes said that wasn’t the reason for the fatigue.

“We’re used to playing those kinds of minutes, so I don’t think it contributed to any fatigue,” Catchings said. “But we do need the bench.”

SEMO used their reserves in defeating the Panthers, as the Redhawks outscored Eastern 25-5 off the bench.

Samuels said it was a major difference in the ballgame.

“They got key contributions from their secondary players,” he said.

And the Panthers won’t have much time to refresh and rebound, as they return to the Lantz Arena floor at 7 tonight against the Tennessee State Tigers.

“Tennessee State hasn’t played since Saturday, so they’re going to be coming here with a little fresher legs.”