EASTERN ILLINOIS (1-10) vs SIUE (7-3)
Thursday, December 18  •  3:00 pm 
Charleston, Ill.  •  Groniger Arena

GAME INFO
RADIO: Hit Mix 88.9 WEIU
TV: ESPN+
LIVE STATS: www.eiupanthers.com
SERIES RECORD: EIU leads 31-14
LAST MEETING: EIU 67, @SIUE 61 (ot) on Feb. 4, 2025
NOTES: EIU Complete Game Notes

GAME 12
Eastern Illinois opens Ohio Valley Conference play on Thursday hosting SIUE as the Panthers will play their first two OVC games at home at Groniger Arena.  Lindenwood will come to Charleston on Sunday afternoon with the game slid back one day from its previously scheduled date due to EIU winter commencement.  The Panthers ended the non-conference schedule with a 1-10 record falling on Sunday at Butler.  EIU trailed by one point after the first quarter but had a cold shooting second quarter to lose their fourth straight game.  SIUE has won two straight entering OVC play with a 7-3 record.

LUNE MATCHES SEASON HIGH
The last two Sunday's have been good offensive production games for redshirt junior Ella Lune as she has scored 16 points in both of those contests.  Two weeks ago Lune went 4-of-4 from 3-point range scoring 16 points at Illinois State.  This past Sunday she found production from inside the 3-point arc going 6-of-11 from the field and 3-of-4 from the free throw line to finish with 16 points.  Lune added six rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks before fouling out.  It was the third career double figure scoring game for Lune who had her breakout game last season with 23 points in the home win over SIUE.  

BOUTILIER IN DOUBLE FIGURES FOR FIRST TIME
Abbie Boutilier has been dominant defending the rim for the Panthers this season adding a block to her season total at Butler and ranking first in the OVC in blocks with 21 (1.9 per game).  On Sunday at Butler, she broke through with double figure points for the first time in her collegiate career finishing with 11 at Butler on 5-of-13 shooting from the field.  Her previous season high was nine at Indiana State.  Boutilier leads the Panthers in rebounding at 6.1 per game collecting a pair of ten rebound games this season at Purdue and at Illinois State.  

MISSING PRODUCTION 
Injuries continue to mount against the Panthers during the non-conference portion of the season as the Panthers added Kennedy Davis and Olivia Thostenseon to the list of injured players not available on Sunday at Butler joining Meioshe Mason and Adriana Arroyo who missed the prior to two contests.  EIU was already without its two returning leading scorers from last season Lalani Ellis and Sydney-James Desroches who have played but been injured early this season.  All told EIU has missed 27 games by players this season due to injury. 

UP NEXT
Sunday, December 21 vs. Lindenwood (1 pm / ESPN+)