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EASTERN ILLINOIS (3-8, 0-0) vs Tennessee State (1-12, 0-0)

Dec. 28, 2013 • 2 p.m. 
Lantz Arena (5,300) • Charleston, Ill.
Radio: Hit Mix 88.9 FM
(Mike Bradd & Jack Ashmore)

THE OPENING TIP
The Panther men's basketball team opens its Ohio Valley Conference schedule on Saturday, Dec. 28 as they play host to Tennessee State at 2 p.m. Saturday's contest is the first of three consecutive home OVC games for the Panthers.
 
The Panthers are led by second-year head coach Jay Spoonhour. He has posted a 120-61 record in seven seasons as a head coach and a 14-29 record at EIU.
 
Tennessee State is coached by Travis Williams who is in his second year with the Tigers, posting a 19-27 record. He has a 59-74 record in five seasons as a head coach.
 
SERIES HISTORY WITH TENNESSEE STATE
EIU trails the all-time series between the two schools, 26-20. The Panthers dropped the last meeting between the two teams, 67-59, in Nashville, Tenn., last season on Dec. 29. Then-freshman Alex Austin scored a team-high 18 points against the Tigers while Josh Piper added a team-high five rebounds.
 
SCOUTING THE TIGERS
Tennessee State ranks 11^th in the conference in scoring offense, averaging 66.4 points per game. Patrick Miller leads the team in scoring with a conference-best 20.9 points per game while also leading the team in assists (56) and steals (18). M.J. Rhett has added 10.3 points per game and a team-high 9.5 rebounds per game – the fifth highest average in the OVC.
 
Tennessee State lost its first 10 games of the season before posting a 108-85 win over Fisk University on Dec. 15. The Tigers most recently lost to Illinois State and Miami (OH).
 
LAST TIME OUT
EIU dropped an 86-65 road contest at IPFW on Dec. 21. The 86 points by the Mastodons were the most points allowed by the Panther defense this season. Four Panthers scored in double figures in the loss, led by Alex Austin's 16 points.  
 
UP NEXT
After playing the Tigers, EIU plays host to Eastern Kentucky (Jan. 2) and Morehead State (Jan. 4). The Panthers then travel to Tennessee Tech (Jan. 9) and Jacksonville State (Jan. 11).
 
IN THE PAINT
• The Panthers snapped a four-game streak where they were held to under 60 points at IPFW. Four Panthers scored in double figures, led by Alex Austin's 16 points. EIU had four players score in double figures for the second time this season as they also had four players score in double figures against IPFW at home on Nov. 27.
 
• Alex Austin has scored in double figures 17 times in his two-year career. The sophomore guard ranks second on the team in scoring (9.5 ppg) while leading the team in three pointers made (18). He led all OVC freshmen in scoring a year ago, averaging 9.3 points per game.
 
• In the loss at Wright State, the Panthers committed a season-high 21 turnovers. EIU followed that performance at IPFW with a season-low six turnovers.
 
• Since joining the Panthers on Dec. 19, Chris Olivier has averaged nine points per game while shooting 50 percent from the floor (8-for-16). He has also added two rebounds, one block and two steals. The junior forward made his first career start at IPFW on Dec. 21.
 
• In his last three games, Sherman Blanford has averaged 15 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. The senior forward has hit 48.5 percent of his shot attempts during that stretch while going 13-for-17 from the foul line.
 
• The Panthers are 2-2 at home this season, averaging 67.2 points per game inside Lantz Arena. EIU has also posted a .455 field-goal percentage a .720 free throw percentage at home.
 
• Alex Austin is averaging a team-best 13.8 points per game at home this season. He has gone 12-for-24 from behind the arc and 11-for-12 from the foul line in those games.
 
• Sherman Blanford leads the team in rebounding (5.6 rpg) while ranking second in scoring (9.5 ppg). His 5.6 rebounds per game currently ranks 12^th in the OVC. The Philadelphia, Pa., native, averaged 10.5 points and a team-best 6.4 rebounds per game last season and was named to the All-OVC Newcomer Team.
 
• EIU leads the conference in blocks, averaging 5.8 blocks per game – ranking 31st in nation in the category. Mat Piotrowski and Keenen Anderson lead the team with 15 and 12 blocks, respectively. Luke Piotrowki has also added 10 blocks.
 
• The Panthers currently rank second in the conference in scoring defense (69.9 ppg). EIU led the OVC in scoring defense last season (64.2 ppg).
 
EASTERN ILLINOIS HEAD COACH JAY SPOONHOUR
Jay Spoonhour enters his second season as the Panthers head coach having been hired on April 9, 2012.  Spoonhour was previously 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 120-61, 20-33 at NCAA Division I.
 
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 389 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 1,116 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. (through games on Dec. 17, 2013)