EASTERN ILLINOIS (5-4)
at BELMONT (7-3)
Dec. 19, 2009 • 7:00 p.m. (CST)
Curb Event Center • Nashville, Tenn.
Radio: Hit Mix 88.9 FM
- Mike Bradd & Rich Moser
GAME 10
Eastern Illinois will hit the road for the second straight game as the Panthers play at Belmont in the first of two games prior to the Holiday Break. EIU returns home on Tuesday evening to play Franklin College. EIU is currently 4-1 on the road this season following a win last Saturday at Western Illinois. The Panthers are 5-4 overall this season. Belmont dropped to 7-3 on the year after a road loss at Saint Louis on Wednesday night. This will be only the third home game of the season for the Bruins who are currently 2-0 at the Curb Event Center.
EIU-BELMONT SERIES
This will be the second meeting between Eastern Illinois and Belmont as the two schools complete an in-season home-and-home series. Belmont won 95-62 at Lantz Arena over the Thanksgiving Break as the Bruins knocked down 44 percent from 3-point range. Belmont big man Mick Hedgepeth scored 23 in the Belmont win. EIU was led by
Tyler Laser with 21 in the loss.
SCOUTING BELMONT
The Bruins are off to a 7-3 start and had a six game win streak snapped on Wednesday night with a 75-67 loss at Saint Louis. Three Belmont players - Mike Hedgepeth (13.3), Keaton Belcher (13.0) and Ian Clark (12.5) - are within one point of each other to lead the Bruins in scoring this season.
PICKING UP ROAD WINS
Eastern Illinois improved to 4-1 on the road this season with a 44-41 win over Western Illinois on Saturday night in Macomb. The win marked the first time that the Panthers have won 4 or more road games in a season since the 2002-03 season. That season EIU finished with a road record of 4-12 as they went 14-15 overall. Only once in the NCAA Division I history of the program has EIU finished the year with a winning road record as they went 7-6 in 1984-85.
