EASTERN ILLINOIS (9-19, 5-10 OVC) at Little Rock (8-20, 4-11 OVC)
Saturday, Feb. 18 • 3:30 pm
Little Rock, Ark. • Jack Stephens Center
NOTES: EIU Game Notes
RADIO: Hit Mix 88.9 WEIU
TV: ESPN+
LIVE STATS: www.eiupanthers.com
SERIES RECORD: EIU leads 2-1
LAST MEETING: @EIU 70, Little Rock 63 on January 14, 2023
GAME 29
Eastern Illinois plays its last road game of the regular season on Saturday afternoon with its first Ohio Valley Conference trip to Little Rock. This is EIU's first trip to The Natural State since a November 2011 trip to play at Central Arkansas. Eastern Illinois and Little Rock will meet with the game playing an important role towards advancing to the upcoming OVC Tournament in Evansville, Ind. EIU is currently sitting in eighth place with a 9-19 overall record, 5-10 in the OVC. The Panthers are one game ahead of both Little Rock and Lindenwood which are tied for ninth at 4-11 in the OVC. The Trojans are 8-20 overall following a tough one-point loss at home on Thursday.
MALONE MOVES INTO EIU RECORD BOOK
Eastern Illinois freshman
Sincere Malone has had a knack for finding the basketball all season as he has led the OVC in steals since the early games of the season. On Thursday at Southeast Missouri, Malone etched his name in the EIU record book as he set the Panthers freshman record for steals in a season with three steals in the first half. The previous freshman record was 53 set by Mike Robinson during the 2005-06 season. Malone tacked on one more steal in the second half to give him 55 for the season and move him into a three-way tie for ninth on the Panthers single season list. Malone added ten points and seven rebounds in the game. It was his fourth double figure scoring game this season and he leads EIU in rebounding at 4.4 rebounds per game.
ELLINGTON LEADS OFFENSE AGAIN
Last Saturday
Nick Ellington scored a career high 21 points during the Panthers road win at SIUE which snapped EIU's 13-game OVC road losing streak. Ellington was 9-of-13 from the field including 3-of-3 from the free throw line in that game. On Thursday night at Southeast Missouri, Ellington was at it again on the offensive end of the floor scoring 17 points for his eighth double figure scoring game of the season. Ellington was 6-of-10 from the floor as he leads EIU in season field goal percentage at 53.1 percent.
UP NEXT
Wednesday - February 22 vs. Morehead State ... 7:30 pm on ESPN+
