Eastern Illinois (12-16) At Tennessee State (11-17)
GAME NOTES: Ohio Valley Conference foes Eastern Illinois and Tennessee State collide at the Gentry Center in Nashville tonight. The Tigers of TSU are 11-17 on the year, but after a slow start they have won five in a row. As for the Eastern Illinois Panthers, it is 12-16 this season, dropping five of its last six. Earlier this season, the Panthers picked up a 71-61 victory at home against the Tigers, but in overall series play, Tennessee State leads by a 22-17 margin. The winner of the contest earns the sixth seed in the OVC Tournament, which begins on Tuesday, while the loser will play as the seventh seed.
On Thursday, the Panthers suffered a 69-54 loss on the road against Austin Peay. In the game, the Panthers shot 51.1 percent from the floor, but only made 10 percent of their three-point attempts. After going 1-of-9 from beyond the arc in the opening half, the Panthers tried one lone attempt after the break, which they also missed. Romain Martin led the team in scoring with 14 points, and T.J. Marion chipped in 13. Marion also led the squad in rebounding, pulling down eight boards. On the year, EIU averages 65 ppg while shooting 44.4 percent from the floor and 35.7 percent from beyond the arc. Martin leads the team in points with 14.8 per game. Tyler Laser chips in with 11.7 ppg, and Ousmane Cisse controls the glass with 7.6 rpg.
The Tigers of Tennessee State picked up a five-point win at home on Thursday, defeating Southeast Missouri State in an 87-82 final. TSU's Gerald Robinson led all scorers with 25 points, while Jerrell Houston notched a double-double consisting of 19 points and 16 rebounds. Darius Cox added a double-double of his own with 16 points and 10 boards. On the year, Robinson leads Tennessee State in scoring with 17.5 ppg. He also leads the team in steals and assists. Houston adds 13.8 ppg and a team-high 7.7 rpg, while Cox chips in with 10.3 ppg and 7.0 rpg. The Tigers are netting 72.4 ppg behind a 45.5 percent shooting effort.
Earlier in the year, the Panthers picked up a 10-point home victory over the Tigers, but EIU does not play well on the road. Expect the trio of Robinson, Houston and Cox to rule their homecourt and lead TSU to victory.
Predicted OutcomeTennessee State 87, Eastern Illinois 73Copyright 2009 Courtesy of The Sports Network.
