EASTERN ILLINOIS (11-18, 7-11 OVC) vs. Tennessee State (15-14, 10-8 OVC)
Wednesday, Feb. 28 • 8:30 pm
Evansville, Ind. • Ford Center
EIU GAME NOTES: Notes Link
RADIO: Hit Mix 88.9 FM
TV: OVC Digital Network
LIVE STATS: www.ovcsports.com
SERIES RECORD: TSU leads 29-23
LAST MEETING: @TSU 50, EIU 47 on Jan. 27, 2018
2018 OVC Tournament Bracket Link | 2018 OVC Tournament Fan Guide |
GAME 30
Eastern Illinois opens up play in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament presented by
VisitMrytleBeach.com on Wednesday night at the Ford Center in Evansville, Ind. The Panthers enter the tournament as the No. 7 seed following a home senior day win over SIUE on Saturday. The Panthers finished the regular season at 11-18 overall, 7-11 in the OVC. EIU will play the No. 6 seed Tennessee State in the 8:30 p.m. game. The Tigers ended the season on a three game losing skid entering tournament play at 15-14 overall, 10-8 in the OVC. TSU swept the season series by a combined seven points winning 69-65 in Charleston and 50-47 in Nashville.
ANOTHER LINE-UP COMBINATION
EIU head coach
Jay Spoonhour used his 13th different starting line-up this season on Saturday afternoon against SIUE allowing all four seniors on the roster to start the game. That total ranks tied for 12th in the NCAA for number of different starting line-ups this season with Texas Rio Grand Valley. Siena is the co-national leader with 18 different combinations. UT Martin is the OVC leader and other co-national leader with 18 different combinations. This season EIU has had a total of five players miss 53 games due to injury including all four point guards.
EIU & THE OVC TOURNAMENT
Eastern Illinois will be playing in its 15th Ohio Valley Conference Tournament when the Panthers face Tennessee State on Wednesday night. This will be EIU's fifth trip in the last six years under head coach
Jay Spoonhour. The Panthers will be playing as the No. 7 seed for the sixth time. EIU is 6-13 all-time in OVC Tournament winning the 2001 OVC Championship. EIU is 0-5 in the OVC Tournament playing as the No. 7 seed. The Panthers last win in the OVC Tournament was in 2015 when they beat SIUE 78-66 in the opening round. EIU has only faced TSU one previous time in the OVC Tournament being upset by the Tigers in the 1998 first round in Lantz Arena. EIU was the No. 2 seed that season and lost to the Tigers, 84-79.
