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EASTERN ILLINOIS (6-16, 3-6) at SIU Edwardsville (7-11, 3-5)

Feb. 2, 2013  •  7 p.m.
Vadalabene Center  •  Edwardsville, Ill.
Radio: Hit Mix 88.9 FM  •  TV: FSN Midwest (9 pm)
Mike Bradd & Jack Ashmore


GAME 23
Eastern Illinois continues play against OVC West Division opponents as the Panthers open a three-game road swing on Saturday at SIU Edwardsville.  EIU will then play next week at UT Martin and Southeast Missouri.  The Panthers have won three straight OVC games climbing to third in the OVC West Division standings.  They currently sit a half-game behind SIUE for second place.  EIU improved to 6-16 overall, 3-6 in the OVC following Saturday's overtime win against SEMO.  It was the first overtime game of the year for EIU.  SIUE lost at home to UT Martin on Saturday night falling to 7-11 overall, 3-5 in the league.  The two schools will also meet on March 2 in the final game of the regular season.

BLANFORD WINS OVC NEWCOMER AWARD AGAIN
Sherman Blanford won his second straight OVC Newcomer of the Week award following his performance in the Panthers wins over UT Martin and Southeast Missouri.  Against SEMO, Blanford had his second double-double in three games with 21 points and 16 rebounds.  Nine of his rebounds were on the offensive glass.  He became the first EIU player since Henry Domercant to pull down 15 or more rebounds in a game (Domercant had 15 vs. EKU on Jan. 12, 2002).  Blanford has now scored in double figures in seven straight games.  He is averaging 15.1 points per game in that seven game run shooting 51.4 percent from the floor and 73.2 percent from the free throw line (30-of-41).

PANTHERS BIG ON THE GLASS
During its three game win streak the Panthers have been dominating play on the glass.  In each of the wins EIU has had a double digit rebound margin over its opponents including a plus 16 margin in Saturday's win over Southeast Missouri.  Offensive rebounding has been a large part of that story as well.  EIU had 16 offensive rebounds in the win at Austin Peay and 18 offensive rebounds versus SEMO.  Sherman Blanford is averaging 11 rebounds per game over the last three games while Morris Woods and Malcolm Herron have both averaged six.

UP NEXT
Thursday - February 7 at UT Martin (7 p.m.)

LAST TIME OUT
Eastern Illinois hit 12-of-13 free throws in overtime as the Panthers edged Southeast Missouri 78-72 to win their third straight game.  Sherman Blanford hit two free throws with six seconds left to tie the game at 61-61 and force overtime.  Blanford led EIU with a career high 21 points and 16 rebounds.  EIU dominated play on the glass with a 50-34 rebound advantage including 18 offensive rebounds.  Five total players scored in double figures for EIU with Josh Piper at 13, Morris Woods and Austin Akers at 12 and Malcolm Herron with 11.  EIU shot 36 percent from the floor but 85.2 percent from the free throw line.

SCOUTING SIU EDWARDSVILLE
SIUE is one of six NCAA Division I teams that does not have a freshman (true or redshirt) on its roster this season as the Cougars are 7-11, 3-5 in the OVC heading into the weekend.  SIUE has three players averaging in double figures led by Jerome Jones at 15.5 points per game.  Jones is shooting 43 percent from 3-point range.  All-OVC performer Mark Yelovich had been sidelined by injuries part of the year but has returned to average 10.7 points and 5.8 rebounds per game.

SERIES INFORMATION
This will be the sixth meeting between Eastern Illinois and SIU Edwardsville.  EIU leads the all-time series 4-1.  The two schools have only played twice as members of the Ohio Valley Conference.  EIU won both contests last year with a 73-59 win on the road and 73-66 win at home in Lantz Arena.  Two of the meetings took place when both schools played at the NCAA Division II level in the early 1970's.

IN THE PAINT
• Josh Piper scored in double figures for the fourth straight game scoring 13 points in the win over Southeast Missouri.  Piper is averaging 13.5 points per game over the last four games.  He is currently 8th in the OVC in 3-point field goal percentage having made at least one 3-pointer in 19-of-22 games.  Piper has shot only two free throws in the last seven games.

• Taylor Jones has made a living closing out games at the line the last three games for EIU.  Jones has made 15-of-16 free throws during the Panthers three game win streak.  He was held to four points against SEMO his lowest total in OVC play this season.  He had a streak of 11 games with a made 3-pointer end on Saturday.

• Austin Akers scored a career high 12 points against SEMO, the second time he has scored in double figures this year.  Akers passed out five assists with only one turnover as he is first in the OVC in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.7-to-1).  Akers has 41 assists and only 12 turnovers in OVC games this year.

• Morris Woods scored in double figures for the second straight game on Saturday finishing with 12 points on 5-of-12 shooting.  Woods is 13th in the OVC in field goal percentage at 47.7 percent.  He has increased that average in OVC play shooting 54 percent while averaging 11 points per game in league action.

• Malcolm Herron scored in double figures for the second straight game in the win over Southeast Missouri finishing with 11 points.  He matched his career high of 13 in the win over UT Martin.  Herron has made six of his last nine 3-pointers.  In addition to increased scoring, Herron has picked up his play on the glass averaging 6.3 rebounds per game during the Panthers three game win streak.

PANTHERS SIGN WISCONSIN POST
Eastern Illinois head coach Jay Spoonhour signed Wisconsin post player Jake Verhagen as the first player in the 2013 class.  Verhagen is a 6'6 post at Appleton West HS where he averaged 16 points and 7 rebounds as a junior earning All-Fox Valley League honors.  He is rated the 26th best player in the state.  Verhagen is averaging 12.2 points per game for Appleton West as a senior.

EASTERN ILLINOIS HEAD COACH JAY SPOONHOUR
Jay Spoonhour enters his first season as the Panthers head coach having been hired on April 9, 2012.  Spoonhour was most recently the head coach at Moberly Area Community College where he coached for three seasons.  He is a long time assistant coach at the NCAA Division I level and served as the interim head coach at UNLV to complete the 2004 season posting a 6-4 record and taking the team to the finals of the Mountain West Conference along with an NIT appearance.  In 2001 Spoonhour was named the National Junior College Coach of the Year leading Wabash Valley College to the NJCAA National Championship with a 36-1 record.  He is the son of the late legendary coach Charlie Spoonhour.  Spoonhour played basketball at Pittsburg State earning his degree in 1994.  He was an honorable mention All-Conference selection.  He has assistant coaching stops at Central Missouri, Saint Louis, UNLV, Missouri and Texas San Antonio.  Spoohour's career mark is 112-48, 12-20 at NCAA Division I.

PANTHERS PICKED 5TH IN OVC WEST
Eastern Illinois was picked to finish in 5th place in the Ohio Valley Conference West Division this season.  The Panthers finished 10th last season in the one division format missing the OVC Tournament.  With the addition of Belmont to the OVC this season, the conference will play in two six team divisions.  Murray State was picked to win the West Division followed by Southeast Missouri, Austin Peay, SIU Edwardsville, EIU and UT Martin.  Belmont was selected to win the East Division after winning the Atlantic Sun Conference last year.

OVC GROWS, SPLITS TO DIVISIONS
The Ohio Valley Conference grew to 12 members with the addition of Belmont for the 2012-13 school year.  The OVC will now play in Divisions - East & West for men's and women's basketball.  Each school will play a home & home series within its division and one game against opponents from the opposite division (3 home games, 3 road games).  The two eight schools in the conference based on record will advance to the OVC Tournament in Nashville with the division winners seeded first and second.  SIU Edwardsville is now eligible to play in the OVC Tournament.  Due to NCAA APR penalties, Jacksonville State is not eligible for the OVC Tournament this season.

FATHER, SON COMBINATIONS
Jay Spoonhour and his late father, Charlie Spoonhour, are one of several father/son combinations that have coached in collegiate basketball.  Entering the season the two have combined to win 376 NCAA basketball games, all coming at the Division I level.  Only 17 father/son combinations have ever won 600 or more games with Eddie, Scott and Sean Sutton topping the list with 1,091 wins between the three.  Scott is currently the head coach at Oral Roberts.  Only three father/son combinations have ever won more than 1,000 games at the NCAA level.

OVC DIGITAL NETWORK
Basketball fans can watch each Eastern Illinois home game and all OVC road games for free online this year on the OVC Digital Network streaming platform.  Fans can view games by visiting - www.ovcdigitalnetwork.com