Eastern Illinois (13-19) vs. UT Martin (21-10)
OVC Tournament Quarterfinals
Thursday, March 5  *  8 pm
Ford Center  *  Evansville, Ind.

Series Record: UT Martin leads 32-31…
2025-26 meetings 
Jan. 3, 2026 at UT Martin … UTM 65, EIU 61
Jan. 29, 2026 at EIU … UTM 76, EIU 68

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PHOTOS: Wednesday night photo gallery (by Sandy King)

GAME 33
Eastern Illinois won an OVC Tournament game on Wednesday night for the first time since the 2020 season when EIU knocked off Jacksonville State in the opening round.  The Panthers now face the No. 4 seed UT Martin on Thursday night.  EIU and UTM have met one previous time in the OVC Tournament with the Skyhawks winning 2019 (W 78-71).  EIU will be looking to make the OVC Tournament semifinals for the fourth time in program history and first since the 2010 season.  EIU is now 13-19 on the season.  UT Martin enters at 21-10.

McMORRIS DOUBLE-DOUBLE
Terry McMorris posted his second double-double of the season on Wednesday night with 15 points and 13 rebounds.  His other double-double was in the season opener at Valparaiso.  In addition, McMorris blocked three shots giving him six games this season with three blocks.  The sophomore now has eight double figure scoring games and four double figure rebounding games this season.  He has seven straight games with at least one blocked shot with a total of 34 for the year.  McMorris needs two blocks to move into the single season top ten (three players tied at 36 – Muusa Dama and James Hollowell (twice).

FRUSTER OVER 20 AGAIN
Zion Fruster led the Panthers in scoring on Wednesday night finishing with 23 points.  It was the seventh 20-point game this season for the senior who now has 760 career points at Eastern Illinois and 1,283 career points as a college player.  Fruster's season high was 28 points on Senior Day at home against Southern Indiana.  He was named a second team All-OVC selection earlier this week giving EIU at least one All-OVC performer in each of the last four seasons under head coach Marty Simmons.

JACOBI NEARS ANOTHER MILESTONE AT EIU
Kooper Jacobi became the 13th player in EIU program history to pass the 600-rebound mark in the final regular season game of the season at SIUE.  He added eight rebounds to his EIU career total on Wednesday giving him 610 career rebounds.  Jacobi also inched closer to another EIU milestone as he enters Thursday's quarterfinal game with 897 points as a Panther.

OVC OVERTIME WINNER
Eastern Illinois improved to 2-0 all-time in OVC Tournament overtime games with Wednesday's 77=71 win over SIUE.  The Panthers are playing in their 19th OVC Tournament since joining the league in 1996-97.  The other time EIU won an overtime game in the OVC Tournament, EIU beat Austin Peay in double overtime in the first round of the 2000 OVC Tournament (W, 107-100).   The Panthers would come back the next season and beat Austin Peay in the OVC Tournament Championship game (W, 84-83) in one of the more memorable OVC Champion contests clinching the Panthers second ever NCAA Tournament bid at the NCAA Division I level.