EASTERN ILLINOIS (3-18, 2-8 OVC) vs. UT Martin (10-8, 6-3 OVC)
Thursday, January 29  •  5:00 pm 
Charleston, Ill.  •  Groniger Arena

GAME INFO
RADIO: Hit Mix 88.9 WEIU
TV: ESPN+
LIVE STATS: www.eiupanthers.com
SERIES RECORD: UTM leads 41-26
LAST MEETING: @UT Martin 58, EIU 51 on January 3, 2026
NOTES: EIU Complete Game Notes

GAME 22
Eastern Illinois played shorthanded on the weekend trip to Southern Indiana and Morehead State and battled in both games before a pair of road losses.  The four-point Saturday loss dropped EIU to 3-18 overall, 2-8 in the OVC.  The Panthers open the second half of the OVC schedule on Thursday as they host UT Martin followed by a visit by Southeast Missouri on Saturday.  UT Martin enters the game at 10-8 overall, 6-3 in the OVC.  The Skyhawks game last Saturday against Little Rock was postponed due to the winter storm and rescheduled for February 2.  UT Martin won the early January contest over EIU by a 58-51 score. 

STOLLER BACK IN DOUBLE FIGURES
Ava Stoller has been Eastern Illinois most consistent offensive player this season leading the team in scoring at 12.7 points per game.  After just missing double figures with back-to-back nine point games, Stoller returned to double figures on Saturday at Morehead State with 16 points.  It was her 13th double figure scoring game this season which includes three 20-point games and a career high 25 points at Purdue.  Stoller went to the free throw line five times on Saturday at Morehead State and ranks third in the OVC in free throw percentage at 88.2 percent.  Over the last four games she has made 18 trips to the line and her 76 free throw attempts rank eighth in the OVC this season.

DESROCHES CONTINUES TO SCORE
Sydney-James Desroches matched Ava Stoller for team-high honors with 16 points on Saturday at Morehead State as the redshirt junior has put together a string of three strong games starting with a double-double at Little Rock (14 pts, 11 reb).  She just missed another double-double on Thursday with 14 points and 9 rebounds before the 16 point, eight rebound game at MSU.  Over those three games Desroches is averaging 14.7 points and 9.3 rebounds per game.  She has knocked down two 3-pointers in each of those three games giving her 13 3-pointers this season.  

PHILLIPO PULLS DOWN CAREER HIGH REBOUNDS
Alanna Phillipo had her second straight start on Saturday at Morehead State and responded with a career high nine rebounds.  Phillipo was 1-for-3 from the field scoring two points for the second straight game but provided solid play on the glass with four of her nine rebounds on the offensive end of the floor.  Phillipo played just over 15 minutes in her first career start on Thursday at Southern Indiana.  Last season as a true freshman, Phillipo played in 23 games off the bench scoring a career high nine points in the road loss at Southern Indiana. 

UP NEXT
Saturday, January 31 vs. Southeast Missouri (1 pm / ESPN+)