Tweet #W1NasONE

EASTERN ILLINOIS (6-13, 3-9 OVC) vs. Belmont (18-1, 12-0 OVC)
Thursday, Feb. 4 •  7:30 pm 
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: Belmont leads 11-2 
LAST MEETING: @BEL 79, EIU 66 on Jan. 21, 2021

GAME 20
Eastern Illinois returns home after a big road win on Tuesday night at SIUE.  The Panthers opened the game with eight players and lost All-OVC guard Josiah Wallace just two minutes into the game.  The remaining seven players helped EIU shoot 70 percent in the second half as they snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 70-61 win.  EIU is now 6-13 overall, 3-9 in the OVC.  EIU will now play two at home before four more road games.  The first game of the weekend series brings OVC leader Belmont to First Mid Court at Lantz Arena.  Belmont has the nation's fourth longest winning streak at 15 games as they lead the OVC at 18-1 overall, 12-0 in the OVC.

SKIPPER-BROWN COMES BACK IN A BIG WAY
Jordan Skipper-Brown saw his first action for EIU since the Jan. 9 game against Austin Peay as he played 27 minutes on Tuesday at SIUE.  He made an immediate impact in his return to the line-up finishing with a career-high 15 points while going 6-of-8 from the floor.  It was the fourth time the senior forward has scored in double-figures this season after he opened the year with 14 points at No. 7 Wisconsin.  Skipper-Brown added five rebounds.  He is now shooting 55.2 percent from the field and ranks 10th in the OVC with 14 blocked shots.

JOHNSON POSTS ANOTHER DOUBLE-DOUBLE
Senior guard Marvin Johnson flirted with a triple-double on Tuesday night while picking up his fourth double-double of the season.  Johnson scored 16 of his 18 points in the second half while pulling down a game-high ten rebounds.   Johnson added eight assists and three steals.  He ranks in the Top 15 in the OVC in four major statistical categories: 10th in scoring / 14th in rebounding / 6th in assists / 8th in steals.  Three of Johnson's double-doubles this season have come on the points-rebounds variety with a points-assists double-double against Tennessee Tech.  He has scored in double figures in 14 of 18 games with a high of 28 at home against SIUE (Jan. 26). 

UP NEXT
Saturday, Feb. 6 vs. Tennessee State, 4 pm (ESPN+)