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EASTERN ILLINOIS (6-13, 3-5) at Southeast Missouri (11-9, 3-4)

Jan. 25, 2014 • 5:30 p.m. 
Show Me Center (7,000) • Cape Girardeau, Mo.
Radio: Hit Mix 88.9 FM
(Mike Bradd & Greg Lautzenheiser)

THE OPENING TIP
The Panther men's basketball team travels to Southeast Missouri on Saturday, Jan. 25 for a 5:30 p.m. contest. EIU is 6-13 (3-5 OVC) and SEMO is 11-9 (3-4 OVC).
 
A day after playing UT Martin who ranks last in the Ohio Valley Conference in scoring defense, the Panthers face a SEMO team on Saturday that leads the conference in scoring offense (82.9 ppg).
 
The Panthers are led by second-year head coach Jay Spoonhour. He has posted a 123-66 record in seven seasons as a head coach and a 17-34 record at EIU.
 
Dickey Nutt has a 249-273 overall record in 17 seasons as a head coach and a 60-86 record in five seasons with SEMO. The Redhawks were picked tied for first in west division of the conference's preseason poll with senior forward Tyler Stone tabbed the OVC Preseason Player of the Year.
 
SERIES HISTORY WITH SEMO
The all-time series between the two schools is tied at 24. EIU and SEMO split the regular-season series last year with the home team winning each game. The two teams also met in the opening round of the OVC Tournament with the Redhawks defeating the Panthers, 78-68, on March 6 at Municipal Auditorium.
 
EIU has gone 1-6 in the last seven meetings versus SEMO and has dropped its last three games in Cape Girardeau, Mo. The Panthers last win at SEMO was on Feb. 6, 2010 by a score of 75-49.
 
Sherman Blanford averaged 13.3 points and 7.7 rebounds per game in the three meetings last year with the Redhawks while Alex Austin added 12.7 points per game.
 
SCOUTING THE REDHAWKS
SEMO averages a conference-best 82.9 points per game and ranks 11^th (out of 12) in scoring defense (77.7 ppg). The Redhawks also rank second in field-goal percentage (.489) and first in assists (16.2 apg).
 
Two of the top four scorers in the conference are on the roster as newcomer Jarekious Bradley averages 21.4 points per game to rank second and senior forward Tyler Stone averages 18 points per game to rank fourth. Stone also ranks fifth in rebounding (9.2 rpg) while Bradley ranks sixth (7.2 rpg). Senior guard Lucas Nutt dishes out 5.5 assists per game, tied for third in the OVC.
 
LAST TIME OUT
The Panthers dropped an 84-77 road contest at UT Martin on Thursday, Jan. 23. EIU had three players in double figures and had a 38-25 advantage on the glass.
 
UP NEXT
After playing the Redhawks, EIU plays host to Cleveland State at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 28 in a non-conference game. The Panthers will play one OVC game next weekend as they play host to SIUE on Feb. 1.
 
IN THE PAINT
• Chris Olivier scored a season-high 20 points in the loss at UT Martin, going 8-for-14 from the floor and 4-4 from the charity stripe. The junior forward has averaged 10.6 points and 4.4 rebounds per game with a team-best 14 blocks in OVC play.
 
• Sherman Blanford posted his eighth career double-double and fourth of the season at UT Martin. The senior forward scored 15 points on 7-for-10 shooting and grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds. In OVC play, Blanford has averaged 14 points and 8.4 rebounds per game with a .513 field-goal percentage. He has averaged 9.2 rebounds per game in the team's last five outings.
 
• EIU posted its largest rebounding margin (+ 13) of the season at UT Martin. The Panthers have out rebounded their opponents in three of their last four games.
 
• EIU dished out 19 assists at UT Martin, the second most assists the team has recorded this season. Reggie Smith and Dylan Chatman both had four assists in the loss to led EIU. Smith currently paces the Panthers with 53 assists.
 
• The Panthers posted a .525 field-goal percentage in the loss at UT Martin, the second consecutive game they have shot over 50 percent. EIU has shot 50 percent or better from the floor in four of its last five games.
 
• Luke Piotrowksi had seven points, three rebounds, two assist and one block in 22 minutes of action at UT Martin. The sophomore forward has averaged 8.8 points and 2.6 rebounds per game in the team's last five contests to go along with five blocks. He has added a .643 field-goal percentage (18-for-28) in those games.
 
• Keenen Anderson scored in double figures for the third time this season at UT Martin and first time since Nov. 23. The junior forward was 5-for-6 from the floor and 1-for-3 from the foul line against the Skyhawks for 11 points. In the team's last five games, Anderson has gone 9-for-11 from the floor.
 
• Josh Piper hit both of his shot attempts from behind the arc at UT Martin, scoring six points in 13 minutes of action off the bench. The junior forward has hit five of his last seven shot attempts from three-point range.
 
• Josh Piper has averaged 10.2 points and 4.4 rebounds per game in five career meetings with SEMO. He had gone 8-for-8 from the foul line against the Redhawks and has added six assist, five blocks and four steals.
 
• EIU is 2-8 on the year in road games and 1-2 in OVC road contests. The Panthers have posted a .514 field-goal percentage in OVC road games, an increase from their .376 field-goal percentage in non-conference road games. Sherman Blanford has posted a .650 field-goal percentage (13-for-20) in road OVC games this year.
 
• EIU ranks second in the conference in blocks (5.2 bpg). Luke Piotrowksi leads the team with 17 blocks while Keenen Anderson, Chris Olivier and Mat Piotrowksi have all added 15 blocks.
 
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. Spoonhour's career mark is 123-66, 23-38 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 as they have combined to win 391 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 1,120 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 Jan. 17, 2014)