EASTERN ILLINOIS (6-4) at Western Illinois (2-6)
Monday, Dec. 16 • 7 pm
Macomb, Ill. • Western Hall
EIU GAME NOTES: PDF Link
RADIO: Hit Mix 88.9 FM
TV: WIU TV
LIVE STATS: www.goleathernecks.com
SERIES RECORD: EIU leads 82-81
LAST MEETING: Eastern Illinois 74, @ Western Illinois 67 on Dec. 8, 2018
GAME 11
Eastern Illinois opened its seven-game road swing on Saturday night with a 75-68 win at Milwaukee marking the first time the Panthers had won in the Cream City since 1974. EIU moved to 6-4 on the season as they will travel to Western Illinois on Monday night. The Panthers and Leathernecks will be meeting for the 164th time in what is the most played rivalry game in school history as the two schools battle for the Old Railsplitter Axe. Western Illinois enters at 2-6 this year.
MACK SMITH FROM 3
Junior
Mack Smith has been warming up from 3-point range in the last two games going 9-of-16 in those contests as he scored 24 points against both Green Bay and Milwaukee. Smith was 6-of-12 from 3-point range on Saturday night at Milwaukee as he now has 163 career 3-pointers, two behind Tyler Laser for eighth on the Panthers career list. It was the fourth time in Smith's career he has knocked down six 3-pointers in a game. He drained six last year at Bradley and hit six twice as a freshman against UT Martin and Austin Peay. In addition Smith has extended his NCAA leading streak of consecutive games with a made 3-pointer to 59.
DIXON BACK-TO-BACK DOUBLE-DOUBLES
Junior
George Dixon continues to be a double-double machine for the Panthers as he collected his fourth of the season on Saturday in his return to his hometown of Milwaukee. Dixon was on pace to post a double-double in the first half for the second straight game before getting into foul trouble with eight minutes left in the half. He would secure it in the second half with 14 points and 12 rebounds. Last week he was named the OVC Newcomer of the Week. He currently leads the OVC in rebounding at 9.8 per game while ranking eighth in the league in scoring (14.1 ppg). Dixon is fifth in the OVC in field goal percentage at 60.2 percent hitting 17 of his last 26 shots.
UP NEXT
Saturday, December 21 at Grand Canyon, 7 p.m.
