EASTERN ILLINOIS (0-3) vs. Blackburn (1-1)
Wednesday, November 11  •  7 pm 
Charleston, Ill.  •  Groniger Arena

GAME INFO
RADIO: Hit Mix 88.9 WEIU
TV: ESPN+
LIVE STATS: www.eiupanthers.com
SERIES RECORD: Eastern Illinois leads 6-0
LAST MEETING: @EIU 105, Blackburn 49 on Jan. 18, 2026

GAME 4
Eastern Illinois wrapped up its string of three straight games against Power Conference opponents on Monday night with a road loss at Notre Dame.  EIU opened the season against three straight Power Conference opponents for the first time in program history with games at Big Ten members Indiana and Iowa last week before Monday's contest at ACC member Notre Dame.  EIU is 0-3 heading into its home opener.  Blackburn College comes into the game at 1-1.  The Beavers lost their season opener to Illinois College before a win over St. Louis Pharmacy (UHSP).
 
BURTON PERFECT FROM THE LINE
Demar Burton was a perfect 11-of-11 from the free throw line on Monday night at Notre Dame as the transfer from Tiffin finished with a career high 23 points.  It was Burton's second double figure game this season after scoring ten in the season opener at Indiana and just falling short with nine points at Iowa.  Burton is shooting 63.6 percent from the field this season and increased his free throw percentage to 81.3 percent.   The school record for number of free throws made in a game without a miss is 17 by Henry Domercant.  The last EIU player to knock down ten or more without a miss in a game was Meechie White going 10-for-10 last year at Lindenwood.

GOOD SHOOTING, POOR TURNOVERS
For the second time this season Eastern Illinois shot 50 percent or better from the field against a Power Conference opponent only to be plagued by turnovers in the loss.  EIU opened the season shooting 50 percent from the field at Indiana but had 22 turnovers against the Hoosiers.  On Monday night at Notre Dame the shooting percentage was even better as the Panthers connected at 51.2 percent but ended the night with 23 turnovers.  The sandwiched game in between with Iowa saw the Panthers held to 32.7 percent from the field including 0-for-7 from 3-point range.  It was the first time EIU had not made a 3-pointer in a game since Feb. 14, 2022 at Austin Peay (0-for-11), a string of 135 games.  EIU was 6-of-13 for 46 percent from long range at Notre Dame.

WELCH OPENS UP FROM 3-POINT RANGE
Last season playing at Lake Erie College Gavin Welch knocked down 78 3-pointers while shooting 40.2 percent from long range.  Over the course of the season, he had five games with six or more made 3-pointers in a game averaging 11.0 points per game.  On Monday night at Notre Dame Welch hit his first three 3-pointers of the night finishing with 13 points and 4-of-6 from long range.  Welch had been a combined 0-for-3 from 3-point range in the opening two games.      

SERIES NOTES
Eastern Illinois and Blackburn meet for the seventh time on the basketball hardwood on Wednesday evening.  EIU leads the all-time series 6-0 including a 105-49 win last year in Groniger Arena.  This marks the fifth straight season EIU has hosted Blackburn.  Prior to that the two schools had not met since 1917 when both schools played as members of the Little 19 Conference.

UP NEXT
Sunday – November 15 vs. Southern Indiana (2 pm / ESPN+)