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EASTERN ILLINOIS at Texas Tech
Tuesday, November 5  •  7 pm 
Lubbock, Texas  •  United Supermarkets Arena

EIU GAME NOTES: PDF Version
RADIO: Hit Mix 88.9 FM
TV: Fox Sports Southwest Plus
LIVE STATS: www.texastech.com
SERIES RECORD: First Meeting
LAST MEETING: First Meeting

GAME 1
Eastern Illinois visits the Lone Star State to open a basketball campaign for the second straight season as the Panthers will face last year's NCAA National Runner-Up Texas Tech.  EIU was 14-18 last season placing sixth in the Ohio Valley Conference.  Texas Tech was 31-7 last season as the Red Raiders were co-champions of the Big 12 Conference.  TTU would lose 78-71 in overtime to Virginia in the NCAA National Championship Game.  Last year EIU opened the season at Texas, falling 71-59 to the Longhorns.

TEAM WITH EXPERIENCE
Eastern Illinois roster features five newcomers this season but in terms of age the Panthers may feature the most veteran team in the NCAA.  EIU does not have any freshmen or sophomores on its 2019-20 roster and entering the season will be the only team in the NCAA Division I ranks that does not have an underclassman suiting up.  EIU's roster make-up includes seven juniors, six seniors and one graduate transfer.  Five returners started 19 games or more last season.  Guards Josiah Wallace, Mack Smith and Shareef Smith started all 32 games last season with Rade Kukobat (19) and JaQualis Matlock (20) also starters.

JOSIAH WALLACE NAMED FIRST TEAM ALL-OVC
Guard Josiah Wallace was named a first team All-Ohio Valley Conference selection last season after leading the Panthers in scoring at 15.5 points per game.  Wallace became only the sixth different EIU player to earn first-team honors since the Panthers joined the OVC in 1996-97.  In addition he was named to the OVC All-Newcomer team and a second team NABC All-Region selection.  This season Wallace was named to the preseason All-OVC team announced that the conference media day in late October. 

PANTHERS SET SCHOOL RECORD FOR 3-POINTERS
Eastern Illinois set a school single season record for 3-pointers made last year as the Panthers knocked down 272 3-pointers.  The total ranked 54th in the NCAA and third in the OVC last season.  EIU made 10 or more 3-pointers in a game 11 times last season with a high of 13 in a road win at Bradley.  The Panthers had a streak of five straight games making double digit 3-pointers from Feb. 1 to Feb. 16.