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EASTERN ILLINOIS (6-9, 2-3) vs. Eastern Kentucky (7-9, 2-4)
Jan. 13, 2011 • 7:30 p.m. (CST)
Lantz Arena • Charleston, Ill.
Radio: Hit Mix 88.9 FM
GAME 16
Eastern Illinois opens a critical stretch of its Ohio Valley Conference season on Thursday as the Panthers host Eastern Kentucky. EIU will be playing six of its next eight OVC contests at home in Lantz Arena. The lone road trip in the mix is a two-game series at Murray State and UT Martin. The Panthers are currently 2-3 in the OVC following a loss at Southeast Missouri on Saturday. That record places EIU at seventh place in the conference standings. EIU is 6-9 overall. Eastern Kentucky is 2-4 in the OVC race sitting in eighth place in the league race following a split against Tennessee Tech and Jacksonville State over the weekend. The Colonels are 7-9 overall.
EIU-EASTERN KENTUCKY SERIES
This will be the 30th game in the series between Eastern Illinois and Eastern Kentucky with the Colonels holding a 16-13 series lead. EIU won the last two meetings in the series as part of their eight game win streak at the end of last season. EIU won 77-54 over EKU as part of that streak in the regular season on Feb. 13. The Panthers then knocked off EKU, 68-61, in the opening round of the OVC Tournament that sent EIU to Nashville for the first time since 2001.
SCOUTING EASTERN KENTUCKY
The Colonels are 7-9 overall and 2-4 in the OVC following a weekend split at home against Tennessee Tech and Jacksonville State. EKU is led by Spencer Perrin at 12.7 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. The Colonels have been bolstered by the return of Justin Stommes who is currently averaging 9.1 points per game. Three Colonels have drained 20 or more 3-pointers this season with EKU shooting 36 percent as a team from beyond the arc (122-of-337).
ALL PLAYERS IN UNIFORM SCORE
Eastern Illinois had all 12 players that dressed for Saturday's game at Southeast Missouri score at least two points in the contest with 23 of those coming off the bench. Jeremy Granger led all players with 17.
GRANGER AMONG NATION'S ELITE AT THE LINE
Jeremy Granger added two more free throws to his season total on Saturday as he has now made 17 straight. For the season Granger moved up to 9th in the NCAA rankings hitting 92.3 percent for the season. He ranks second in the OVC just behind B.J. Jenkins of Murray State at 92.9 percent (8th in NCAA). For his career Granger is connecting at an 87 percent mark which ranks 5th on the OVC career list. Granger needs 33 more makes for his career to qualify for the EIU career top ten where his current 87 percent mark would rank first.
LINE-UP CHANGES EARN NATIONAL RANKING
Not exactly the list many programs would want to find themselves on but on Saturday at Southeast Missouri the Panthers started their eighth different starting line-up of the season. That number ranks third among NCAA Division I schools for number of different starting line-ups this season. Pepperdine (West Coast Conference) leads the list with 13 different line-ups while USC Upstate (Atlantic Sun) is second on the list with nine different combinations. The Panthers are tied for third with Memphis (Conference USA), Radford (Big South) and Tennessee Tech (OVC). On that list only Memphis has posted a winning record this season.
PRATL IN THE POST USUALLY MEANS POINTS
When Shaun Pratl has been touching the ball in the post more often than not it has resulted in points. Pratl has either knocked down the shot or been fouled in the act. For the season Pratl is hitting 55.4 percent from the field which ranks sixth in the OVC. Pratl has also made 57 trips to the free throw line which leads EIU this season. Over the last five games Pratl has increased that production hitting 59 percent from the field while averaging 11 points per game.
