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EASTERN ILLINOIS (3-6) at Eastern Kentucky (5-5)
Saturday, December 14  •  7 pm 
Berea, Ky.  •  Seabury Center

GAME INFORMATION
NOTES: EIU Game Notes 
RADIO: Hit Mix 88.9 WEIU
TV: ESPN+
LIVE STATS: www.eiupanthers.com
SERIES RECORD: EKU leads 27-18
LAST MEETING: @EKU 82, EIU 43 on Nov. 22, 2021

GAME 10
Eastern Illinois returns to the road on Saturday for the Panthers second to last non-conference game of the season as they play at Eastern Kentucky.  EIU has one additional non-conference home game against Blackburn College on December 28.  The Panthers improved to 3-0 at home this season with a 87-57 win over Calumet Saint Joseph on Kid's Day at Groniger Arena improving EIU to 3-6 on the season.  Following the game at EKU this weekend, EIU opens Ohio Valley Conference play on the road next Thursday at Southeast Missouri.  EKU, a former OVC member, enters at 5-5 following a road loss at Pittsburgh on Wednesday.  The Colonels will be hosting this game at Berea College, about 30 minutes south of Richmond, due to renovations taking place at Alumni Coliseum on campus.

FRUSTER SCORING
Transfer guard Zion Fruster has been the Panthers top outside shooting threat this season as the guard leads the team with 14 made 3-pointers this season shooting 43.8 percent from outside.  Fruster has made at least one 3-pointer in all nine games this season with a high of three made at Indiana.  Fruster scored a season high 19 points in the win over Calumet Saint Joseph moving his season average back to double figures at 10.8 points per game.  He opened his EIU career with ten points at Illinois and tossed in 13 points at Indiana scoring in double figures in six of nine games this season.  In addition he pulled down five rebounds, passed out four assists and had three steals in the recent home win.  He has steals in six straight games with 11 steals for the season.

SHELTON CONSISTENT POINTS
Senior guard Nakyel Shelton continues to be a consistent scorer for the Panthers as he poured in 19 points against Calumet Saint Joseph for his ninth straight double figure scoring game and 12th straight dating back to last season.  Shelton currently leads the OVC in scoring at 17.8 points per game which includes a 20 point game at Valparaiso and 26 point effort against Northern Illinois.  Shelton's scoring has come from a variety of levels this season with a 4-of-7 day from 3-point range against Calumet to a pair of 11 free throw performances against both DePaul and Northern Illinois.  His 41 free throw attempts rank fourth in the OVC while he is second in the league in free throw percentage.

UP NEXT
Thursday - Dec. 19 at Southeast Missouri, 7:30 pm (ESPN+)