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EASTERN ILLINOIS (8-9, 6-6 OVC) vs. BELMONT (8-4, 5-2 OVC)
Thursday, Feb. 4 • 4:30 p.m. 
Charleston, Ill. • First Mid Court at Lantz Arena

GAME NOTES: Read
RADIO: Hit Mix 88.9 FM
ESPN +: Watch
LIVE STATS: Follow
SERIES RECORD: Belmont leads series: 9-4
LAST MEETING: Jan. 21, 2021: Bruins won 63-49

PANTHERS VS. BRUINS: ROUND TWO
Eastern Illinois (8-9, 6-6 OVC) will battle against Belmont (8-4, 5-2 OVC) for the second time this season. The Panthers return to Lantz Arena after a sensational 51-49 victory against the reigning OVC 2019-20 tournament champions: Southeast Missouri. Lariah Washington and Kira Arthofer carried the offensive load in the win as Washington finished with a season-high 24 points, and Arthofer finished with a career-high 13. The Bruins are coming off a 68-52 win over Tennessee State. In that game, the Bruins bench scored a season-high 31 points; Jamilyn Kinney led the team with a career-high 21 points.

PLAYER TO WATCH
 Kira Arthofer has taken the next step in her junior season. Arthofer is leading the OVC in assists-per-game (4.5), total assists (77), and has nearly doubled her points-per-game since last season as she averages 6.3 points this season (3.5 ppg last season). Panthers fans have known she is a capable passer and a stingy defender, but her scoring has made her even more of a threat. Arthofer was a sub-par shooter in her last season, but this season, she is shooting over 50% from the field. In her sophomore year, Arthofer made 42 field goals the entire season; this year, she had already made 45 on much better efficiency. Her confidence in her shooting is due in part to her smart decisions. She takes high-percentage shots, including some nifty post moves from the left side of the basket. Arthofer is coming off a career-high 13 points in a big win over SEMO, and without Pace, she will have to continue to be a scoring option.

SCOUTING THE BRUINS
The Bruins are currently ranked No. 2 in the OVC after the weekend. After nearly a month of no play, the Bruins haven't skipped a beat, winning four of their six games since Jan. 19. The Bruins can credit that to their outstanding guard play of Destinee Wells and Tuti Jones. This freshman pair put up 24 combined points against the Panthers in the first meeting of the teams. The Bruins were led by Conley Chinn who finished with 23 points when the Panthers and Bruins last faced off. Chinn has been the team's best scorer in conference play this season, averaging 14.1 points-per-game. What doomed the Panthers in the last meeting was the 22 turnovers. The team shot only 38% from the field and was unable to take care of the ball, which is a recipe for disaster. The Panthers have to protect the ball against a team that is averaging 12 steals and forces 19 turnovers a game against conference opponents.

UP NEXT
The Panthers will stay in Charleston, Ill., and face Tennessee State for the second time this season. The two teams will square off on Saturday, Feb. 6, at 1 p.m.