EASTERN ILLINOIS (2-8, 0-1 OVC) vs. SIUE (7-4, 0-0 OVC)
Thursday, December 18  •  5:30 pm 
Charleston, Ill.  •  Groniger Arena

GAME INFO
RADIO: Hit Mix 88.9 WEIU
TV: ESPN+
LIVE STATS: www.eiupanthers.com
SERIES RECORD: EIU leads 19-14
LAST MEETING: @SIUE 66, EIU 41 on Feb. 4, 2025
NOTES: EIU Complete Game Notes

GAME 11
Eastern Illinois returns home to host SIUE in the Panthers second Ohio Valley Conference game of the season.  Due to EIU's winter commencement on campus Sunday, the previously scheduled OVC game with Lindenwood was moved to earlier in December with the Lions beating EIU 82-74.  The Panthers enter the game having lost five straight with the last win on November 19 against Tiffin (W, 62-50).  EIU is now 2-8 overall, 0-1 in the OVC with three of the eight losses to teams ranked in the Top 10.  SIUE has won four of its last five entering the game at 7-4.  This is the Cougars first OVC contest of the season.  

FRUSTER DOUBLE FIGURE STREAK CONTINUES
Zion Fruster came off the bench for the fourth straight time this season and provided double figure scoring offense for the Panthers.  Fruster was one of two Panthers in double figures at No. 4 Iowa State finishing with 11 points.  He has scored in double figures in all seven games this season and ranks fifth in the OVC in scoring at 15.7 points per game.  He posted a season high 25 points in the early season home win over Nicholls and added 21 points on the road at Central Arkansas.  

JACOBI SCORES AGAINST IOWA STATE
Graduate student Kooper Jacobi was one of two EIU players to finish in double figures on Sunday at No. 4 Iowa State.  Jacobi scored 11 points to post his fifth double figure scoring game this season.  Jacobi had 20 points earlier this year at Notre Dame and posted his first double-double of the season with 20 points, 10 rebounds in the OVC opener against Lindenwood.  Last year's OVC leader in rebounding at 8.9 per game, Jacobi is currently 14th in the OVC at 5.6 per game with 7.0 rebounds per game in his last three games.

BENCH PRODUCTION IMPROVED
Eastern Illinois won the battle of point production from its bench over its opponent for the third straight game as the Panthers finished with a 21-16 advantage over No. 4 Iowa State in Sunday's game in Ames.  EIU had won the bench production margin in games against both Lindenwood and Eastern Kentucky averaging 27.6 points per game with its bench over those three games.  Part of the improvement has been the return of healthy bodies to the line-up.  EIU was averaging 16.0 points per game in bench play through the first seven games.

UP NEXT
Monday - December 22, 2025 vs. East-West University (2 pm on ESPN+)