EASTERN ILLINOIS (1-4) at Valparaiso (2-2)
Sunday, November 24 • 1 pmÂ
Valparaiso, Ind. • ARC
GAME INFORMATION
NOTES: Complete EIU Game Notes
RADIO: Hit Mix 88.9 WEIU
TV: ESPN+
LIVE STATS: www.eiupanthers.com
SERIES RECORD: EIU leads 20-16
LAST MEETING: VALPO 78, EIU 65 on March, 4, 1996 at Mid-Con Tourney
GAME 6
Former Mid-Continent Conference rivals square off for the first time in close to 30 years as Eastern Illinois travels to Valparaiso on Sunday afternoon for the second game of this year's DePaul Blue Demon MTE. EIU lost its first game in the event at DePaul on Tuesday night falling to 1-4 on the year with all four losses on the road at Power Conference teams (3 Big Ten / 1 Big East). EIU concludes MTE action next Friday (Nov. 29) hosting Northern Illinois. Valparaiso improved to 2-2 on the year with a home win over OVC member Lindenwood on Thursday night.
JACOBI BIG SCORING NIGHT
Kooper Jacobi continues to battle for the Panthers in the low block as the 6'7" graduate student plays the four and sometimes the five position in the EIU line-up. Jacobi has been the Panthers top rebounder the last two seasons ranking in the top five in the OVC last season prior to missing the final 17 games of the year due to injury. This year he is once again on track as Jacobi is second in the conference in rebounding at 8.2 per contest. He pulled down eight on Tuesday night at DePaul to go along with a career high 22 points on offense. Jacobi was 9-of-16 from the floor (56 pct) and he is shooting over 50 percent from the field in his last three games (53 pct / 14.7 ppg). Jacobi has three career double-doubles including one earlier this season against Earlham College.Â
SHELTON PERFECT AT THE LINE
EIU's leading scorer on the season
Nakyel Shelton struggled to get shots to fall from the field on Tuesday at DePaul finishing just 3-of-11 from the field. However Shelton did find his way to the free throw line during the contest finishing a perfect 11-of-11 to score 17 points. Shelton now leads the OVC in free throw percentage at 88.9 percent and has made 15 straight free throws dating back to a miss in the season opener at Illinois. Shelton has scored in double figures in all five games this season ranking 5th in the OVC in scoring at 16.6 points per game. As a guard he has also pulled down 4.2 rebounds per game and ranks third in the OVC in blocks. The last EIU player to shoot 10 or more free throws in a game and not miss was Joey Miller going 10-of-10 on Nov. 30, 2011 against Maine. The previous year Jeremy Granger went 13-of-13 from the stripe against Toledo, one of six players in program history to be perfect with 12 or more attempts. Henry Domercant holds the school record at 17-of-17 against Loyola Chicago (2001).
UP NEXT
Friday - Nov. 29 vs. Northern Illinois, 2 pm (ESPN+)
