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EASTERN ILLINOIS (8-14, 5-5) vs UT Martin (7-17, 2-7)

Feb. 6, 2014 • 7 p.m. 
Lantz Arena (5,300) • Charleston, Ill.
Radio: Hit Mix 88.9 FM 
(Mike Bradd & Jack Ashmore)

BASKETBALL PROMOTIONS
• EIU will be giving away 250 free t-shirts during the game… fans are encouraged to wear white to the game
• Win with Buffalo Wild Wings, if the Panthers make six 3-pointers and win, every EIU student wins a coupon for six free wings from Buffalo Wild Wings
• EIU will recognize Faculty Fellows and Wounded Warriors in attendance
 
THE OPENING TIP
The Panther men's basketball team plays host to UT Martin on Thursday, Feb. 6 at 7 p.m. EIU is 8-14 (5-5 OVC) on the year and UT Martin is 7-17 (2-7 OVC).
 
EIU is planning a WHITE OUT on Thursday and will be giving away 250 free t-shirts during the game. Fans are encouraged to wear white to the game.
 
EIU currently ranks second in the Ohio Valley Conference's West Division and looks to avenge an 84-77 loss at UT Martin on Jan. 23. The Skyhawks have not won a game since defeating the Panthers as they have lost two games in a row.
 
The Panthers are led by second-year head coach Jay Spoonhour. He has posted a 125-67 record in seven seasons as a head coach and a 19-35 record at EIU.
 
Jason James is in his fifth year at UT Martin with a 36-111 overall record.
 
SERIES HISTORY WITH UT MARTIN
EIU leads the all-time series with UT Martin, 19-18. The loss at UT Martin earlier this season snapped a four-game winning streak in the series for EIU.
 
EIU has won two straight home games in the series with their last defeat at home coming on Feb. 15, 2011 by a score of 73-54.
 
SCOUTING THE SKYHAWKS
UT Martin is 2-11 in road games this year and rank last in the OVC's West Division with a 2-7 record. The Skyhawks rank last in the conference in scoring defense (80.8 ppg) and field-goal percentage defense (.521).
 
Myles Taylor leads four players who average 10 or more points per game with 15.3 points per game. He also leads the team on the glass with 6.6 rebounds per game. Marshun Newell adds 10.9 points and a team-high 3.5 assists per game.
 
LAST TIME OUT
The Panthers won their second consecutive OVC game on Saturday, Feb. 1 as they defeated SIU Edwardsville, 76-70. EIU had three players score in double figures against the Cougars.
 
UP NEXT
EIU concludes its four-game homestand on Saturday, Feb. 8 at 2 p.m. against Southeast Missouri. The Panthers defeated the Redhawks, 77-74, in Cape Girardeau, Mo., earlier this season on Jan. 25.
 
IN THE PAINT
• Sherman Blanford scored a career-high 24 points in the win over SIUE. He went 9-for-14 from the floor and 6-for-8 from the charity stripe. The senior forward has scored in double figures 33 times in his two-year career at EIU.
 
• Sherman Blanford had 13 rebounds against SIUE to go along with his 24 points, posting his fifth double-double of the year. He ranks sixth in the OVC in rebounding with seven rebounds per game.
 
• Sherman Blanford has averaged 14.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game in OVC play this year. His 8.5 rebounds per game ranks fourth in OVC only games while his .531 field-goal percentage ranks 15^th.
 
• EIU had 10 more rebounds (37-27) than SIUE last Saturday, the Panthers third game this season with 10 or more rebounds than their opponent. EIU ranks fifth in the OVC in rebounding margin (- 0.7).
 
• EIU had eight steals against SIUE, their second consecutive game with eight steals. Reggie Smith leads the team in steals with 29 while Dylan Chatman ranks second with 24.
 
• EIU hit a season-high 90.2 percent of its free throw attempts against SIUE, going 20-for-22 from the charity stripe. The Panthers rank fourth in the conference in free throw percentage (.709).
 
• Jake Verhagen hit back-to-back three pointers late in the game against SIUE to spark the Panther comeback. The freshman guard has gone 4-for-5 from behind the arc in his last three games. Of his 37 shot attempts this year, 31 of them have been from three-point range.
 
• Chris Olivier scored 12 points against SIUE, his fourth consecutive game with 10 or more points. The redshirt sophomore has averaged 10.7 points per game and 4.2 rebounds per game since joining the Panthers at Wright State on Dec. 19 after previously sitting out to due to NCAA transfer rules.
 
• EIU ranks second in the conference in blocks, averaging five blocks per game. Sherman Blanford, Chris Olivier and Luke Piotrowski all have 18 blocks to pace the Panthers.
 
• EIU is 5-6 in home games this season, averaging 70.4 points per game. Sherman Blanford and Reggie Smith have a team-best 14.9 points per game at home this year.
 
• Reggie Smith leads the Panthers in scoring (13.4 ppg) and assists (3.2 apg). The junior guard has led the team in scoring eight times this season.
 
• The Panthers rank last in the conference in scoring offense (65.5 ppg) and 10th in scoring margin (- 7.0).
 
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 125-67, 25-39 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 394 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 1,121 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 Feb. 4, 2014)