EASTERN ILLINOIS (8-6, 1-0 OVC) vs. SIUE (5-8, 1-0 OVC)
Saturday, January 5 • 3:15 pmÂ
Charleston, Ill. • Lantz Arena
EIU GAME NOTES: PDF Link
RADIO: Hit Mix 88.9 FM
TV: ESPN+
LIVE STATS: www.eiupanthers.com
SERIES RECORD: 19th meeting, EIU leads 13-5
LAST MEETING: @EIU 68, SIUE 56 on Feb. 24, 2018Â
GAME 15
Eastern Illinois looks to improve to 2-0 to start the Ohio Valley Conference season as the Panthers host SIUE on Saturday afternoon. EIU won its fifth game in the last six contests as they opened the conference season on Thursday night with a 92-87 overtime win over UT Martin. EIU improved to 8-6 on the year. The last time EIU started 2-0 in the OVC was in 2015 when the Panthers started the season 6-0 with all six wins coming against the OVC East Division. The Cougars are also looking to start 2-0 in league play after a win over Southeast Missouri. SIUE enters at 5-8 overall.
ANOTHER OVERTIME WIN
Eastern Illinois improved to 3-0 in overtime games this season as the Panthers opened OVC play with an 92-87 win against UT Martin. It was the tenth time that EIU and UTM have played an overtime contest and fourth time in the last eight meetings that the teams have needed more than 40 minutes. EIU is now 52-54 all-time in overtime contests and 18-13 in OVC overtime games. The Panthers other overtime wins this season were over Western Illinois at home and Arkansas State at the Battle in the Blue Ridge in Asheville, N.C.
WALLACE FINISHES WITH BIG NIGHT
Josiah Wallace had another big scoring night as he scored 18 points in the first half before finishing with a game-high 27 points in the win over UT Martin. It was Wallace's second game this season over 25 points after he scored 31 against Arkansas State at the Battle in the Blue Ridge. Against ASU, all of Wallace's points came in the second half and overtime period. The junior college transfer currently ranks eighth in the OVC in scoring at 14.4 points per game and is seventh in the league in free throw percentage at 79.6 percent. Wallace was 7-of-9 at the stripe in Thursday's win over UT Martin.Â
UP NEXT
Thursday, January 10 at Jacksonville State - 7:15 p.m. (ESPN+)
