GAME NOTES  |  Jacksonville State Website

EASTERN ILLINOIS (4-8, 1-1 OVC)
at JACKSONVILLE STATE (7-3, 1-0 OVC)

Jan. 3, 2008 • 7:30 pm
Mathews Coliseum • Jacksonville, Ala.
Radio: Hit Mix 88.9 FM TV: ESPNU
- Mike Bradd & Rich Moser

GAME 13
Eastern Illinois opens a crucial three game run of road games on Saturday night at Jacksonville State. In the last couple of seasons these two schools have battled at the bottom of the Ohio Valley Conference standings. This year the winner will move into at least a tie for second place in the conference race as both of the league's undefeated teams (Austin Peay and Morehead State) will also face off on Saturday. The Panthers finish up their road swing with a contest at Tennessee Tech on Monday and at Southeast Missouri on January 10.

EIU - JACKSONVILLE STATE SERIES
This will be the 9th meeting between Eastern Illinois and Jacksonville State. The Panthers hold a 5-3 series lead after sweeping the regular-season series in each of the last two seasons. The Panthers are 2-2 at Mathews Coliseum with their last loss on the Gamecocks home floor coming on Feb. 2, 2006 (JSU 66-51).

SCOUTING JACKSONVILLE STATE
First year head coach James Green has quickly helped the Gamecocks program improve as they enter the game with a 7-3 record including wins over UMass and Tennessee Tech this season. JSU features a balanced offensive attack with five players averaging in double figures. Two of those top five scorers are new to the program in redshirt freshman Geddes Robinson (10.8 ppg, 6.8 rpg) and Brandon Crawford (12.1 ppg).

LOOKING AT NEW COMBINATIONS
Eastern Illinois head coach Mike Miller shook up his line-up on Wednesday against Missouri Valley College starting freshman point guard Jeremy Granger. It was the sixth different starting line-up for the Panthers this season. While playing a lower division opponent, EIU worked several different combinations on the floor against the Vikings exploding for 50 second half points.