EASTERN ILLINOIS (2-4) at #1 Purdue (6-0)
Friday, November 28  •  11 am 
West Lafayette, Ind.  •  Mackey Arena

GAME INFO
RADIO: Hit Mix 88.9 WEIU
TV: Big Ten Network
LIVE STATS: www.eiupanthers.com
SERIES RECORD: Purdue leads 6-0
LAST MEETING: @Purdue 83, EIU 55 on Nov. 20, 2013
NOTES: Complete Game Notes

GAME 7
Eastern Illinois will play its second ranked team in the month of November as the Panthers travel to No. 1 ranked Purdue on Friday afternoon.   EIU is coming off a road loss at Central Arkansas on Tuesday falling to 2-4 on the season.  This marks the second of three games scheduled against teams currently ranked in the Top 25 with a trip to No. 13 still to come in December.   Purdue was the preseason number one and has remained in that location improving to 6-0 following wins at the Baha Mar Championship in the Bahamas.
 
FRUSTER WITH A SPARK OFF THE BENCH
Senior guard Zion Fruster missed the last two games against Kentucky and Tiffin due to an injury but returned on Tuesday at Central Arkansas coming off the bench after starts in the opening three games.  Fruster was EIU's second leading returning scorer from last season at 11.6 points per game.  Early this season he is averaging 17.3 points per game to rank third in the OVC in scoring with four straight double figure scoring games.  He had a season high 25 points in the home win over Nicholls and then dropped in his second 20-point game at Central Arkansas with 21 points going 8-of-15 from the floor and 3-of-6 from 3-point range.  

PANTHERS SUCCESS AT THE STRIPE
Last season free throw shooting was an Achilles heel for EIU as they connected at 67.8 percent which ranked ninth in the Ohio Valley Conference.  EIU went 412-for-608 with the 19.6 free throw attempts per game landing in the middle of the pack for the conference.  This season free throw success has been up for EIU as they enter the Purdue game shooting 74.2 percent from the stripe, second in the OVC.  EIU is 89-for-120 averaging 20 attempts per game.  Zion Fruster (2nd / 90 pct) and Terry McMorris (6th / 81.5 pct) both rank in the OVC top ten for free throw percentage with guard Meechie White knocking down 92.9 percent but not enough attempts to qualify (13-of-14).

FACING RANKED TEAMS
Eastern Illinois will be playing a ranked team for the 28th time on Friday afternoon when the Panthers tip-off at Purdue.  The Boilermakers are currently ranked No. 1 marking the first time EIU has ever faced the nation's top ranked team.  EIU is 0-27 all-time and 0-7 against Top 10 ranked opponents with the previously highest ranked team being No. 3 Illinois in November 2001.  EIU lost by eight at No. 5 Kansas (L, 63-71) in November 2023 for its closest game against a top ten opponent.  The Panthers took 20th ranked Iowa State to overtime in December 1987.  The last Ohio Valley Conference team to play the nation's No. 1 team was Eastern Kentucky playing at No. 1 Louisville on Dec. 14, 2019.

UP NEXT
Monday - December 1, 2025 vs. Blackburn College (7 pm / ESPN+)