EASTERN ILLINOIS (2-4) vs. Western Illinois (1-3)
Saturday, Dec. 12 • 4 pmÂ
Charleston, Ill. • First Mid Court at Lantz Arena
EIU GAME NOTES: PDF Link
RADIO: Hit Mix 88.9 FM
TV: ESPN+
LIVE STATS: www.eiupanthers.com
SERIES RECORD: Eastern Illinois leads 83-81
LAST MEETING: EIU 85, @WIU 47 on Dec. 16, 2019
GAME 7
Eastern Illinois wraps up its non-conference schedule on Saturday hosting Western Illinois. The Panthers opened the season with five games in ten days and played their first six games in a two-week span posting a 2-4 record after a road loss at Evansville. Following EIU's game with Western Illinois on Saturday, EIU will play one game over a 17-day span facing SIUE in the OVC opener on Monday, Dec. 21. Western Illinois is off to a 1-3 start as they will playing their fourth game in seven days. WIU is coming off a 1-1 record at the Miami (Ohio) Tournament.
SMITH CLOSES IN ON HISTORY
Mack Smith is closing in on NCAA history as the senior extended his streak of consecutive games with a made 3-pointer to 87 games on Wednesday with four made 3-pointers at Evansville. Smith needs just one more game to tie the NCAA Division I record of 88 straight games set by Cory Bradford of Illinois in 2001. Smith is 14-of-38 on 3-pointers this season having gone 4-of-5 at Evansville to finish with 12 points. In two of the Panthers six games this season he has been limited to just one 3-pointer (Wisconsin & Green Bay) and 20 times during the streak he has hit knocked down just one 3 in a game. Smith is 20th on the EIU career scoring list with 1,204 points.
BATTLE FOR THE OLD RAILSPLITTER AXE
Eastern Illinois and Western Illinois will play for the Old Railsplitter Axe on Saturday as the two schools participate in the one of the few basketball rivalry games with a traveling trophy. EIU and WIU renewed the traveling trophy series in 2016 with the Panthers posting a 6-1 record since that time. The trophy was originally awarded in the late 1970's when both schools were NCAA Division II rivals.
UP NEXT
Saturday, Dec. 21 at SIUE - 5 p.m. (on ESPN+)
