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EASTERN ILLINOIS (3-5) vs Indiana State (5-2)

Dec. 7, 2013 • 7 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 plays host to Indiana State on Saturday, Dec. 7. Tip off is slated for 7 p.m. from Lantz Arena.
 
EIU is 3-5 on the year and is coming off a 60-32 loss at Western Illinois on Dec. 4. Indiana State is 5-2 this year, most recently defeating Pepperdine, 73-70, on Nov. 30 at the Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout.
 
The Panthers are led by second-year head coach Jay Spoonhour. He has posted a 120-58 record in seven seasons as a head coach and a 14-26 record at EIU.
 
The Sycamores are led by Greg Lansing who has a 61-46 record in four seasons at Indiana State. He has led the Sycamores to the postseason in each of his first three seasons (2011 NCAA, 2012 CIT, 2013 NIT).
 
TICKET PROMOTION
Fans attending the Panther football team's home FCS Playoff game at 1 p.m. against Tennessee State can get $2 off general admission tickets for the men's basketball game against Indiana State by showing their ticket stubs. For more information on tickets for Saturday's basketball game, call the EIU Ticket Office at 217-581-2106.
 
SERIES HISTORY WITH INDIANA STATE
The Panthers trail the all-time series with the Sycamores, 85-36. Indiana State won the last meeting between the two schools, 79-72, on Nov. 11, 2011 in Terre Haute, Ind. The Sycamores defeated EIU, 66-58, in the last meeting in Charleston on Dec. 3, 2005.
 
SCOUTING THE SYCAMORES
The Sycamores are averaging a conference-best 81.7 points per game while also leading the Missouri Valley Conference in field-goal percentage (.514). Five players are scoring 10 or more points per game led by Justin Gant (13.9 ppg). Jake Odum is averaging a team-best 4.6 rebounds per game and ranks second on the team in scoring (13.6 ppg).
 
LAST TIME OUT
EIU is coming off a 60-32 loss at Western Illinois on Wednesday, Dec. 4. The Panthers posted a season-low .240 field-goal percentage and were out rebounded by nine (42-33).
 
UP NEXT
The Panthers hit the road for back-to-back games at Wright State (Dec. 19) and IPFW (Dec. 21) before opening Ohio Valley Conference action on Dec. 28 at home against Tennessee State.
 
IN THE PAINT
• EIU ranks second in the conference in blocks with 6.3 blocks per game this season. The Panthers ranked 15th in the nation in blocks per game in the most recent NCAA statistical summary. Keenen Anderson leads the team with 12 blocks while Mat Piotrowski has added 10.
 
• The Panthers look to move to 3-1 at home this season against the Sycamores on Saturday night. EIU is averaging 73.7 points per game at home this year with a .509 field-goal percentage.
 
• In three home games this season, Alex Austin is averaging 16.3 points per game. The sophomore guard has gone 15-for-28 from the floor and 11-for-20 from behind the arc in those games. He is also 8-for-8 from the foul line at home.
 
• Dennis Green has averaged 12 points per game at home this year, hitting 50 percent of his shot attempts (11-for-22). He is also 14-for-18 from the charity stripe in those games.
 
• Reggie Smith leads the Panthers in scoring, averaging 13.1 points per game – the 11th highest average in the conference. The junior guard also leads the team in assists (21) and steals (13).
 
• A total of 10, first-year players with the EIU program have seen action this season. Newcomers Reggie Smith and Dennis Green are two of the Panthers top-three scorers as the two guards have combined to average 21.4 points per game.
 
• The Panthers rank third in the conference in scoring defense (68.4 ppg) after leading the OVC in scoring defense (64.2 ppg) last season.
 
• Alex Austin ranks second on the team in scoring with 9.1 points per game. The junior guard led all OVC freshmen in scoring a year ago, averaging 9.3 points per game.
 
• Sherman Blanford, the Panthers lone senior, is averaging 7.4 points per game. The forward averaged 10.5 points and a team-best 6.4 rebounds per game last season and was named to the All-OVC Newcomer Team.
 
• Sherman Blanford leads the Panthers in rebounding this season, averaging 4.5 rebounds per game. He grabbed a team-high seven rebounds in the loss at Western Illinois.
 
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 120-58, 20-30 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. 5, 2013)