With Nov. 25 set as the starting date for the 2020-21 college basketball season, that means that there will be about two additional  two weeks without basketball games.

That void will feel longer with no other games happening on campus, so to fill that void, let’s look back at the best game for the men’s and women’s basketball teams last season.

Men’s Basketball- Feb. 20 against Murray State

The best game for the men’s team was also one of the most exciting games in the country last season.

Down 27 with 11 minutes to play, the Panthers rallied in miraculous fashion, capping off the comeback with a three-pointer by Josiah Wallace with 0.4 seconds to play, putting Eastern ahead for good by a score of 63-60

The Panthers closed the game on a 40-10 run and scored 20 of the last 25 points.

Eastern became just the seventh Division I team to win a game which it trailed by at least 27 points in the second half.

Wallace’s game-winner gave him a game-high 20 points in the game and earned Eastern a spot on the first segment of Sportscenter that night. 

“We have been practicing that play, we call it ‘late game,’ for a couple of weeks, three weeks or so, and I guess it worked tonight,” Wallace said after the game. “(Shareef Smith) did a good job of flipping me back the ball and (Jordan Skipper-Brown) set a good screen and refused it so it got the defense thrown off and I was lucky enough tonight that the ball went in and we got to be on the fun side of a close game tonight.”

Women’s Basketball- Feb. 8 against Morehead State

This game was not the best-played game of the season for the Panthers, but the fact they managed to hold on for the win showed how much the team had improved over recent seasons.

After winning their last two games by a combined 76 points, Eastern seemed to be crashing back to earth by the second quarter of the game against Morehead State.

The Panther didi not score a point in the second quarter, shooting 0-15 from the field. They managed to get it back together after halftime and forced overtime, where they outscored Morehead State 12-7 to pick up the win. Jordyn Hughes seemed to seal the game with 48 seconds left in overtime, stealing the ball and making a three-pointer to put the Panthers up 65-60.

Karle Pace led the team with 27 points in the game.

“I’m just proud of our team,” head coach Matt Bollant said after the game. “They found a way today.”

He also said he was happy with how they put the second-quarter struggles behind them.

“To not score, and then have the composure and toughness to have a great third quarter was big,” Bollant said.

Adam Tumino can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].