EASTERN ILLINOIS (3-7) at Southeast Missouri (4-6)
Thursday, December 19 • 7:30 pm
Cape Girardeau, Mo. • Show Me Center
GAME INFORMATION
NOTES: EIU Complete Game Notes
RADIO: Hit Mix 88.9 WEIU
TV: ESPN+
LIVE STATS: www.eiupanthers.com
SERIES RECORD: SEMO leads 38-32
LAST MEETING: @EIU 75, SEMO 57 on Feb. 15, 2024
GAME 11
Eastern Illinois opens Ohio Valley Conference play on the road on Thursday as the Panthers play this week at Southeast Missouri (Thursday) and Little Rock (Saturday). EIU is 3-7 on the season falling to former OVC member Eastern Kentucky on Saturday. The Panthers do have one more non-conference game at home on Saturday, December 28 hosting Blackburn College. Southeast Missouri enters the game at 4-6 on the season including a 3-1 record at home in the Show Me Center with a win on Sunday over Saint Mary of the Woods.
PANTHERS POUNDING THE GLASS
Eastern Illinois had a team effort pounding the glass on Saturday against Eastern Kentucky as the Panthers finished with a 45-36 advantage including 18 offensive rebounds.
Kooper Jacobi led the Panthers rebounding effort with 13 while
Rodolfo Bolis and
Nakyel Shelton each pulled down eight rebounds. It marked just the third time this season that EIU had finished a game with an advantage in the rebounding total winning the battle against Earlham (51-to-28) and Northern Illinois (45-29). EIU in ninth in the OVC in both rebounds per game (35.8) and rebound margin (negative 3.1) entering league play.
SHELTON OVER 20 POINTS AGAIN
Senior guard
Nakyel Shelton scored in double figures for the tenth straight game this season and 13th straight game dating back to last season. Shelton finished with 22 points at Eastern Kentucky for his third 20-point game this season. Shelton scored a season high 26 points against Northern Illinois following a 20-point afternoon at Valparaiso. Shelton leads the OVC in scoring this season at 18.2 points per game and in free throw percentage at 82.9 percent. Twice this season Shelton has knocked down 11 free throws in a game including an 11-for-11 night at DePaul.
OVC OPENERS AND PRESEASON RANKINGS
Eastern Illinois opens its 29th season as a member of the Ohio Valley Conference as the Panthers are 11-17 all-time in OVC openers but only 2-13 all-time in road games to open the conference season. The last road win to open an OVC season was Dec. 3, 2009 in a triple-overtime win at Tennessee State. EIU's other road OVC win was at Middle Tennessee. EIU has opened an OVC season against Southeast Missouri just one time in those previous 28 years with EIU winning 85-75 to open the 2001-02 OVC season in Charleston. EIU was picked to finish 6th in the OVC preseason poll, SEMO was picked 7th.
UP NEXT
Saturday - Dec. 21 at Little Rock, 3 pm (ESPN+)
