EASTERN ILLINOIS (4-9, 1-2 OVC) at UT Martin (10-4, 2-1 OVC)
Saturday, January 3  •  3:30 pm 
Martin, Tenn.  •  Elam Center

GAME INFO
RADIO: Hit Mix 88.9 WEIU
TV: ESPN+
LIVE STATS: www.eiupanthers.com
SERIES RECORD: EIU leads 31-30
LAST MEETING: UT Martin 72, @EIU 68 on Feb. 15, 2025
NOTES: EIU Complete Game Notes

GAME 14
Eastern Illinois had its two game win streak snapped as the Panthers opened the 2026 calendar year with a road loss at Southeast Missouri.  EIU held a double digit lead late in the first half but foul trouble and a cold shooting stretch to open the second half dropped the team to 4-9 overall, 1-2 in the OVC.  EIU wraps up the weekend road trip at UT Martin as the Skyhawks improved to 10-4 overall, 2-1 in the OVC with a win over Western Illinois.  It was the seventh straight home win for UTM dating back to last season.  The two teams will meet later this month on January 29 at Groniger Arena in Charleston.  

TURNER IN DOUBLE FIGURES OFF THE BENCH
Preston Turner provided solid offense for the Panthers in the early portion of the season scoring in double figures in three of his first four games while making eight starts.  He started coming off the bench in mid-December at No. 4 Iowa State scoring seven points.  After being held scoreless against SIUE, Turner has turned in back-to-back double figure scoring games with 18 points against East-West University and 13 at Southeast Missouri.  He currently leads the team with 17 made 3-pointers this season.  

EIU CONVERTING AT THE LINE
EIU knocked down 16-of-22 at the free throw line on Thursday at Southeast Missouri finishing at 72.7 percent.  For the season the Panthers are connecting at 74.3 percent from the free throw line which ranks second in the OVC and lands 97th in the NCAA this season.  The percentage is a vast improvement over last season when EIU shot just 67.8 pct from the free throw line to rank ninth in the OVC.  Currently three Panthers rank in the OVC top ten in free throw percentage with Zion Fruster, Meechie White and Terry McMorris all ranked. 

FRUSTER HITS 1,000 POINT COLLEGE MARK
Senior guard Zion Fruster reached the 1,000 point mark for his collegiate career with a jumper to end the first half on Thursday at Southeast Missouri.  The senior finished the game with ten points giving him double figures in all ten games he has played in this season.  He leads EIU in scoring and ranks in the top ten in the OVC at 15.8 points per game.  Three of those ten double figure games have been 20-point efforts with a season high 25 against Nicholls.  Fruster has scored 482 of his 1,005 career college points in a Panthers uniform.

UP NEXT
Thursday - January 8, 2026 vs. Tennessee Tech (7:30 pm / ESPN+)