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EASTERN ILLINOIS (9-14, 6-5) vs Southeast Missouri (12-12, 3-7)

Feb. 8, 2014 • 2 p.m. 
Lantz Arena (5,300) • Charleston, Ill.
Radio: Hit Mix 88.9 FM  • TV: WEIU 
(Mike Bradd & Jack Ashmore)

BASKETBALL PROMOTIONS
• ZOOperstars! will perform at halftime of both games and at select media timeouts
• 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
 
THE OPENING TIP
The Panther men's basketball team concludes a four-game homestand on Saturday, Feb. 8 as they play host to Southeast Missouri at 2 p.m. EIU is 9-14 (6-5 OVC) and SEMO is 12-12 (3-7 OVC).
 
EIU has already won six conference games this season, tying last year's win total in OVC action. A win on Saturday would give the Panthers their most conference wins since posting an 11-7 record during the 2009-10 season. The Panthers currently rank second in the OVC's West Division behind Murray State.
 
The Panthers are led by second-year head coach Jay Spoonhour. He has posted a 126-67 record in seven seasons as a head coach and a 20-35 record at EIU.
 
Dickey Nutt has a 250-276 overall record in 18 seasons as a head coach and a 61-89 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 SOUTHEAST MISSOURI
EIU leads the all-time series between the two schools, 25-24. The Panthers are looking for their first series sweep of the Redhawks since the 2009-10 season.
 
EIU snapped a three-game losing streak in Cape Girardeau, Mo., on Feb. 25, 2014. The Panthers defeated the Redhawks, 77-74, as Reggie Smith led EIU with a game-high 23 points in the victory.
 
SCOUTING THE REDHAWKS
Southeast Missouri most recently dropped an overtime game at SIUE, 93-88, on Feb. 6. Tyler Stone scored a career-high 37 points as he went 15-for-19 from the floor and 6-for-7 from the foul line. His 37 points were the most in a game by a Southeast Missouri player since Kenard Moore finished with 36 vs. Northern Illinois on Feb. 21, 2009.
 
Jarekious Bradley (20.4 ppg) and Stone (19.1 ppg) rank second and third in the OVC in scoring. The Redhawks lead the conference in scoring offense (82.9 ppg) and assists (16.3 apg).
 
LAST TIME OUT
The Panthers won their third consecutive OVC game on Feb. 6, defeating UT Martin, 91-79. EIU shot 67.9 percent from the floor in the second half to win their second game in a row when trailing at halftime.
 
UP NEXT
EIU will play its next three games on the road, beginning with a road trip to Austin Peay (Feb. 13) and Murray State (Feb. 15). The Panthers then play at Belmont on Feb. 20.
 
IN THE PAINT
 
• EIU scored a season-high 91 points against UT Martin, the first time the Panthers have scored 90 or more points in game since defeating UT Martin, 93-65, at Martin, Tenn., on Feb. 7, 2013. The Panthers also made 31 baskets in the win on Thursday, the second most shots they have made in a game this year.
 
• The Panthers tied their season high in three pointers made with nine against the Skyhawks. Alex Austin led seven Panthers with a three pointer in the contest as he went 3-for-3 from behind the arc.
 
• EIU hit a season-high 67.9 percent of its shot attempts in the second half against UT Martin. The Panthers have shot 60 percent or better in a half three times this season with all three occasions coming in the second half of a game.
 
• Dylan Chatman nearly missed his first career double-double against UT Martin, scoring 17 points and grabbing a game-high nine rebounds. He leads the team in three pointers made (30) and ranks second on the team in steals (25).
 
• In the team's last three OVC games, Sherman Blanford has averaged 21 points and 8.7 rebounds per game with a .649 field-goal percentage. He has added six steals and four blocks in those games.
 
• EIU has averaged 81.3 points per game in its last three OVC outings with a .512 field-goal percentage. The Panthers have also connected on 44.4 percent of their three-point attempts in those games, going 20-for-45.
 
• Josh Piper dished out a career-high five assists against UT Martin to go along with 11 points. The junior forward has scored in double figures 22 times throughout his career.
 
• EIU out rebounded its opponent for the second consecutive game in the win over UT Martin. The Panthers have grabbed more rebounds than their opponent in six of their last eight outings.
 
• Sherman Blanford has averaged 12.3 points and seven rebounds per game in four career games against the Redhawks. Josh Piper has added 8.7 points and 3.8 rebounds per game in six career meetings with SEMO.
 
• EIU ranks second in the conference in blocks, averaging 4.9 blocks per game. Sherman Blanford leads the team with 19 blocks while Chris Olivier and Luke Piotrowski have added 18 blocks each.
 
• EIU is 6-6 in home games this season, averaging 72.1 points per game. Sherman Blanford has led the team in scoring at home with 16.2 points per game. He has increased that scoring output to 19 points per game in OVC home games.
 
• 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 (66.7 ppg) and 10th in scoring margin (- 6.2).
 
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 126-67, 26-39 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)