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EASTERN ILLINOIS (9-13, 7-10 OVC) at AUSTIN PEAY (11-7, 9-5 OVC)
Saturday, Feb. 20 • 1:00 p.m. 
Clarksville, Tenn. • Winfield Dunn Center

GAME NOTES: Read
RADIO: Hit Mix 88.9 FM
ESPN +: Watch
LIVE STATS: Follow
SERIES RECORD: APSU leads series: 31-21
LAST MEETING: Jan. 9, 2021: Racers won 77-68

FINAL ROAD GAME
Eastern Illinois (9-13, 7-10 OVC) end the road trip with a crucial game against Austin Peay (11-7, 9-5 OVC). The Panthers have three games to fight for a spot in the OVC Tournament after Thursday's loss against Murray State. That same night Eastern Kentucky defeated SEMO to give them the eighth spot and a potential position in the tournament. The Panthers have no easy games coming up, so they will need a step up in production from their players to have a shot to move on into the postseason.

PLAYERS TO WATCH
The Panthers need their bench to contribute and score in the game. The Austin Peay Governors are a deep team that can make the team run around trying to cover the ball. The Panthers will need the likes of Taylor Steele, Parker Stafford, Grace McRae, and Briana Mishler to give the starters some time to catch their breath. The Panthers bench has been more productive in the past few games, as they have scored double-digit points against Tennessee Tech and Murray State. If the bench can give the team a little spark coming into the game as well, it may keep the Panthers from falling into a shooting slump. Eastern Illinois will need all hands on deck for this game.

SCOUTING THE GOVERNORS
Austin Peay plays a brand of basketball that is unique as they do not have a standout player on the stat sheet. In other words, this team does not have a player they rely on completely. Maggie Knowles leads the team, averaging 10.2 points-per-game, but all of the team can score. The Governors play an unselfish game, and as a deep team, they have been able to win with that culture. The Governors are one of the 3-point shooting teams as they rank 10th nationally in attempts, 18th in 3-point field goals made, and 21st in 3-point field goals made per game. The Governors shot 11-26 from beyond the arc in the last game against the Panthers. In their most recent game, however, SIUE held them to 5-24 from 3-point range. The Panthers will need to keep Austin Peay honest from the field to stay in the running for the OVC Tournament. 

UP NEXT
The Panthers will host Southeast Missouri on Thursday, Feb. 25, at 4:30. The Panthers will then finish the regular season out against UT Martin on Saturday, Feb. 27, at 1 p.m.