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Eastern Illinois (20-5, 13-2 OVC) at Little Rock (17-9, 14-1 OVC)
Saturday, February 18 at 1 PM CT
Little Rock, Ark. (Jack Stephens Center)
Live Stats
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Radio: Hit Mix 88.9 FM
Media Guide (PDF)
Game Notes (PDF)

Panthers Face Little Rock In Key OVC Showdown
Eastern Illinois women's basketball heads to Arkansas to try to snap their two-game skid in a big-time OVC showdown with the Little Rock Trojans.  Tipoff is set for 1 PM CT.

Last Game
EIU lost their second consecutive game in a 62-57 road setback against Southeast Missouri State.  Miah Monahan was the only Panther who scored in double figures, getting 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting and 5-of-9 from three point range to go along with six rebounds and four assists.  Morgan Litwiller had seven points and 10 rebounds.

Player To Watch
Hannah Purcell came off the bench to score nine points and grab five rebounds Thursday at SEMO.  Her nine points tied her career high which she set earlier this season at Loyola Chicago.  She has served as a quality reserve post for the Panthers in 24 games played, as she can box out for a rebound and has the ability to shoot it from anywhere in the half-court. She is averaging 3.4 points per game and 2.5 rebounds per game in just over 12 minutes per game.

Looking At Little Rock
Little Rock is led by head coach Joe Foley, who is in his 20th year as the Trojans' head coach.  Little Rock is currently 17-9 overall and 14-1 in OVC play, having won nine in a row.  The Trojans played a loaded non-conference schedule that included five games against SEC schools, one of which was a 42-38 road win over Texas A&M.  Offensively, the Trojans are led by RS junior forward Sali Kourouma who is averaging 16.7 points per game and shooting the rock at a 40% clip.  As a team, the Trojans play stifling defense, leading the OVC and ranking 19th in the nation in field goal percentage defense at .359, 14th in the nation in three-point field goal percentage defense at 26, and fifth in the nation in scoring defense, giving up an average of 52.4 points per game.

Series History
Saturday will mark the second all-time meeting between the Panthers and the Trojans.  EIU won the first meeting this season 44-33 in Charleston, which was the first ever matchup between the two programs.

Upcoming
The Panthers will begin their final home stretch on Wednesday, February 22 against the Morehead State Eagles.  Tipoff is scheduled for 5 PM CT.