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EASTERN ILLINOIS (6-7) at SIUE (6-7)
Friday, Dec. 29  •  7:30 pm 
Edwardsville, Ill.  •  First Community Arena

GAME INFO
RADIO: Hit Mix 88.9 WEIU
TV: ESPN+
LIVE STATS: www.eiupanthers.com
SERIES RECORD: EIU leads 18-10
LAST MEETING: EIU 84, @SIUE 73 on Feb. 11, 2023
NOTES: EIU Complete Game Notes

GAME 14
Eastern Illinois opens Ohio Valley Conference play on Friday night as the Panthers travel to SIUE for the first of three road games to open league play.  EIU lost on the road at Iowa State in its final non-conference game to enter OVC action at 6-7 overall.  SIUE also lost its final non-conference game on the road at Bradley.   The Cougars enter OVC play at 7-6, one of five teams in the league with a non-conference record above .500.   EIU was picked to finish last in this year's OVC preseason rankings while SIUE was tabbed to finish second.

SHELTON LEADS PANTHERS IN SCORING
Nakyel Shelton was one of two Eastern Illinois players in double figures last week in the Panthers road loss at Iowa State.   Shelton led the Panthers with 11 points in the game, the fourth time this season the junior college transfer has led EIU in scoring in a game this season. (Kooper Jacobi is the team leader with five games as the leading scorer).  Shelton enters OVC play as the team's leading scorer on the season at 11.5 points per game, one of three Panthers in double figure scoring.  Shelton has three 20-plus point scoring games to his credit with a high of 22 against both Illinois State and Central Arkansas.  He ranked fifth in the nation in scoring in JUCO last season.

BOOKER BIG FOR EIU IN SEVERAL AREAS
Tiger Booker has been a jack of all trades for the Panthers this season playing at the point guard position for EIU.  He joined Nakyel Shelton in double figures with ten points last week at Iowa State, his sixth double figure scoring game this season.  Booker has been one of the top defensive players in the OVC leading the league in steals with 24 as he had collected at least one in every game prior to being shut out at Iowa State.   He has three games with six or more assists and ranks third in the OVC in assist-to-turnover ratio.  One of three EIU players averaging in double figures, Booker's season high was 20 points in the loss at Kansas. 

UP NEXT
Thursday, January 4 at UT Martin - 8 pm (ESPNU) ... National TV OVC Wild Card Game