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EASTERN ILLINOIS (1-3) at Bradley (4-1)
Nov. 24, 2010 • 7 p.m. (CST)
Peoria Civic Center • Peoria, Ill.
Radio: Hit Mix 88.9 FM
GAME 5
Eastern Illinois travels to Peoria for the first of two games over the Thanksgiving Holiday Break as the Panthers will face Bradley on Wednesday night. Following that game EIU will bus to South Dakota State for a Saturday night return game against the Jackrabbits. EIU will be making its first appearance against Bradley since the 1972 season. EIU is coming off a 57-40 win over IU South Bend on Saturday night that gave the Panthers their first win of the season.
EIU-BRADLEY SERIES
This will be only the eighth meeting between these two in-state schools and the first since both have been NCAA Division I members. Bradley holds a 4-3 series lead with the last meeting taking place on Jan. 22, 1972 at Bradley. The Braves won 99-84 over the Panthers. Joe Stowell was Bradley's head coach in the game while EIU was coached by Don Eddy.
SCOUTING BRADLEY
Bradley is off to a 4-1 start to the season which includes a one-point win over Southern California and a six point loss to TCU on Sunday night. The Braves have four players who are averaging in double figures with Andrew Warren the leader at 16 points per game. Bradley has done a good job of getting to the free throw line this season with 73 makes in 111 attempts. Their opponents have only attempted 74 free throws all season. The Braves are at a negative 5.8 rebounds per game margin.
NOEL HAS GOOD EFFORT IN FIRST START
EIU head coach Mike Miller looked to shake up the Panthers line-up on Saturday as he inserted freshman Levi Noel into the starting five. Noel responded scoring a season high ten points as he hit 4-of-9 from the field including 2-of-3 from 3-point range. Coming into the game Noel had only scored one point in the Panthers previous three games hitting one-of-two from the free throw line in the loss at Ball State.
LASER PASSES 1,000 POINT MARK
Tyler Laser passed the 1,000 point mark for his career on Thursday at Loyola-Chicago as the senior guard tossed in 20 points in the Windy City. Laser added eight more points on Saturday against IU South Bend to move his career total to 1,021 career points. He now ranks 34th on the EIU career list needing 22 more points to catch Bill Thommen (1971-73) on the list with 1,043 points. Laser is currently 3rd among active players in the OVC in career scoring and ranks 4th in career free throw percentage at 87 percent (168-of-193).
EIU PERFECT FROM THE LINE
After three straight games shooting below 65 percent from the free throw stripe, EIU was a perfect 8-of-8 on Saturday against IU South Bend. Tyler Laser knocked down 4-of-4 while Shaun Pratl and Nick McFarlin also converted their two opportunities. EIU shot below 60 percent in its first two games of the season and warmed up to 64 percent at Loyola last Thursday. EIU was one of the better free throw shooting teams in the OVC last season hitting 72 percent from the line.
CURRY McKINNEY CONTRIBUTES IN OTHER WAYS
Coming off the bench for the first time this season senior Curry McKinney found other ways he could contribute for the Panthers on Saturday against IU South Bend. McKinney passed out a career high five assists while adding two steals which contributed to buckets. McKinney added four points on 2-of-9 shooting from the field. He is currently first on the team with six steals and second on the squad with ten assists.
GRANGER LEADS IN POINTS DESPITE DOWN NIGHT
Jeremy Granger scored six points on Saturday against IU South Bend marking the first time this season that the junior guard has been in single digits. He tossed in a season high 18 points at Loyola on Thursday night as he leads the Panthers at 12.8 points per game. He is tied for tenth in the OVC in scoring while his 53 percent clip from the field leads EIU and ranks sixth in the OVC.
ON THE ROAD AROUND TURKEY DAY
This will mark the first time since the 2007-08 season that EIU will spend the Thanksgiving Holiday on the road. EIU has been at home the last two seasons playing Belmont last season and IPFW the year before.
