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EASTERN ILLINOIS (0-3) at Minnesota (5-0)
Wednesday, November 20  •  7 pm 
Minneapolis, Minn.  •  Williams Arena

GAME INFORMATION 
NOTES: EIU Complete Game Notes
RADIO: Hit Mix 88.9 WEIU
TV: Big Ten Plus
LIVE STATS: www.eiupanthers.com
SERIES RECORD: Minnesota leads 2-1
LAST MEETING: @MINN 59, EIU 48 on Dec. 22, 2022

GAME 4
Eastern Illinois plays its second consecutive game against a Big Ten opponent as the Panthers travel to face Minnesota on Wednesday night.   The Panthers lost a pair of tough road games to open the year at North Dakota and North Dakota State before falling at nationally ranked Illinois last Thursday.  EIU stands at 0-3 on the season with the first four games this season on the road.  EIU will finally return home this Saturday when they host Loyola Chicago in the first of two straight games at Groniger Arena.  Minnesota is off to its best start in several years as the Golden Gophers are 5-0 on the season following a pair of wins in Arizona over the weekend.  

JOHNSTON WITH A LIFT OFF THE BENCH
Jayda Johnston came off the bench to play her most significant minutes of the season at No. 23 Illinois.  The transfer post player from Valparaiso played 16 minutes against the Fighting Illini after just four minutes combined in the opening two games in North Dakota.  Johnston led the Panthers with eight points while pulling down four rebounds, all on the offensive glass.  Johnston was 3-of-9 from the field and 2-of-2 from the free throw line in the contest.  She added one steal as part of the Panthers ten steal team effort.  The Roseville, Minn., native played in just one game last season at Valparaiso and a total of 40 games in her Valpo career.  The fifth year player has one double figure scoring game in her career with 16 points against Western Illinois on Dec. 9, 2022.

FLOWERS LEADS IN STEALS, AGAIN
Kiyley Flowers is no stranger to being among the Ohio Valley Conference leaders in steals as she led the conference each of the last two seasons while playing at fellow OVC member Southeast Missouri.  This season the transfer senior guard is once again on top of the OVC steals leaderboard through the opening two weeks of play.  Flowers has 20 steals through three games this season to rank second in the NCAA in total steals and first in the NCAA in steals per game.  Hannah Hidalgo of Notre Dame is the national leader in total steals with 21.  In  the game at No. 23 Illinois, Flowers had seven steals including five in the opening quarter.  Her season high is eight at North Dakota State as she became one of just nine players in program history with eight or more steals in a game.  Melanie Hatfield (1985 vs. Wisconsin) and Nancy Kassebaum (1979 vs. Dayton) both hold the EIU single game record for steals with 11.  

UP NEXT
Saturday, November 23 vs Loyola Chicago, 2 pm (ESPN+)