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EASTERN ILLINOIS (2-6)
vs. WESTERN ILLINOIS (4-5)

Dec. 13, 2008 • 7 pm
Lantz Arena • Charleston, Ill.
Radio: Hit Mix 88.9 FM TV: WEIU Channel 51
- Mike Bradd & Jack Ashmore

GAME 9
Eastern Illinois returns home to play three of their next four games at Lantz Arena over the holiday break. The Panthers are 2-2 at home this season including a split in the opening weekend of Ohio Valley Conference action last weekend. Following Saturday's game with WIU, Eastern Illinois will take the week off for finals and host Chicago State on Dec. 22. The Panthers currently have a five game home winning streak against Western Illinois, the last home loss to the Leathernecks coming during the 1996-97 season.

EIU/WESTERN ILLINOIS SERIES
This will be the 152nd meeting between EIU and WIU. The schools first met in 1927-28 splitting a regular-season series. After a couple year hiatus, the schools renewed the cross-state rivalry in 1934-35 and have played every year since including four games with each other in the 1967-68 season. WIU leads the series 76-75 with the home team winning in each of the last six meetings.

SCOUTING WESTERN ILLINOIS
The Leathernecks have won three games in a row to improve to 4-5 on the season under first year head coach Jim Molinari. David DuBois is Western Illinois top scorer at 17.9 points per game as they are averaging 60.4 ppg as a team. WIU is coming off wins against IUPUI and Southeast Missouri State.

LIGHTS OUT BEYOND THE ARC
Eastern Illinois has been one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the nation this season as they enter Saturday's contest ranked 21st in 3-point field goal percentage at 41.2 percent. California is the national leader making 51.7 percent while only 33 teams nationally are hitting over 40 percent from 3-point range. A large part of that productivity has come over the last two games hitting 58 percent against Austin Peay and 54 percent against Evansville.