GAME NOTES | Tennessee State Website
EASTERN ILLINOIS (12-16, 8-9 OVC)
at TENNESSEE STATE (11-17, 8-9 OVC)
Feb. 28, 2009 • 7:30 pm
Gentry Center • Nashville, Tenn.
Radio: Hit Mix 88.9 FM
- Mike Bradd & Jack Ashmore
GAME 29
Eastern Illinois heads to the Gentry Center in Nashville for a final game show down with Tennessee State. Both squads enter with an 8-9 record in the Ohio Valley Conference. The winner of the contest secures the No. 6 seed in the OVC Tournament while the loser will play as the No. 7 seed on Tuesday night. EIU has played five of its final six regular season games on the road with a 1-3 record on the road to date. EIU is coming off a Tuesday night loss at Austin Peay while TSU picked up a home win against Southeast Missouri.
EIU - TENNESSEE STATE SERIES
This will be the 40th meeting between Eastern Illinois and Tennessee State with the Tigers holding a 22-17 series advantage. EIU won the earlier meeting in Charleston by a 71-61 count ending a six game losing skid to Tennessee State. In that game Ousmane Cisse had 22 points and 10 rebounds to guide the Panthers to the win. The last win for EIU at Tennessee State was in 2003 when EIU won 88-75 in the second to last game of the regular-season.
SCOUTING TENNESSEE STATE
Tennessee State is a much different team than the one EIU faced on Dec. 4 as the Tigers have regrouped of late winning five straight games to lock up an OVC Tournament berth. The Tigers are under the direction of interim head coach Mark Pittman who took over after Cy Alexander was relieved of his duties in early February. Three TSU players average in double figures with Gerald Robinson leading the way at 17.5 ppg. Jerrell Houston is a double threat with 13.8 ppg and 7.1 rpg.
LOOKING FOR NUMBER NINE
Eastern Illinois is looking for OVC win number nine this Saturday in hopes of finishing at .500 in league play. EIU last .500 or better league season was in 2003 with a 9-7 record and tie for 4th place. EIU has only won 9 or more OVC games in a season five times since joining the league in 1996.
OVC SCENARIOS
The top four seeds in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament are still not settled following Thursday's action. EIU will play on the road on Tuesday, March 3 with a game at one of these four schools - Austin Peay, Morehead State, Murray State, UT Martin. For OVC tie-breaker scenarios please visit here.
