RICHMOND, Ky. – The Eastern Kentucky University men's and women's basketball teams travel to Cookeville, Tennessee to wrap up the regular season with an OVC doubleheader against the Golden Eagles of Tennessee Tech on Saturday at the Eblen Center. Men's Preview WHAT TO KNOWLive Video I Live Stats I Live Audio I Game Notes I Live Tweets - EKU (15-15, 6-9 OVC) will tip against TTU at 8:30 p.m. ET.- With one game left in the regular season, EKU still controls its own destiny in terms of qualifying for the OVC Tournament. Due to the tiebreaker over Austin Peay (13-17, 6-9 OVC), if the Colonels defeat Tennessee Tech on Saturday, they would be the eighth and final seed at Music City Madness.
- If EKU loses to TTU and Austin Peay loses to Southeast Missouri on Saturday, the Colonels would still earn their 14th consecutive trip to the conference tournament.
- Freshman
Nick Mayo (20 points, 10 rebounds) had a double-double vs. TTU on Jan. 23 in Richmond. Mayo, senior
Jarelle Reischel (25) and junior
JaVontae Hawkins (22) all reached the 20-point plateau vs. the Golden Eagles in that game.
- Reischel enters Saturday's game two points shy of 1,000 collegiate points (998).
- EKU held Jacksonville State to 27 percent (15-of-55) shooting from the field in Thursday's 76-54 win over the Gamecocks. It was the lowest point total and lowest field goal percentage allowed by the Colonels this season. It was the first time EKU had held an opponent below 30 percent from the field since the upset of No. 18 Miami (29 percent) on Dec. 18, 2014.
- Hawkins led a balanced scoring attack against JSU with 14 points. It was the Colonels' lowest team-high in points in a game all season.
- EKU out-rebounded JSU, 48-27, on Thursday. It was the Colonels' best rebounding margin of the year.
- Eastern received 32 points off its bench vs. JSU, its highest bench total since 37 points at WKU on Dec. 1, 2015.
- Junior
Jaylen Babb-Harrison leads the OVC in three-point field goal percentage (45.2). The last Colonel to finish the season as the OVC's leader in three-point field goal percentage was Mike Rose in 2008-09 (48.1). Rose also led the NCAA that year.
- EKU leads the OVC and ranks 9th in the country in field goal percentage at 49.3. The EKU single-season field goal percentage record is 49.1 (1986-87).
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT - Tennessee Tech (18-10, 10-5 OVC) has lost two straight, including its first home loss of the season, 69-59, to Morehead State on Thursday.
- The Golden Eagles are led by Torrance Rowe, who is averaging 17.9 ppg and 4.4 apg.
- This is the 132nd all-time meeting between long-time OVC rivals, EKU and Tennessee Tech. Eastern leads the series, 72-59.
UP NEXT Should the Colonels qualify for the OVC Tournament as the No. 8 seed, they would open tournament play on Wednesday, March 2, at 7:00 p.m. ET vs. the No. 5 seed.
Women's Preview WHAT TO KNOW
Tennessee Tech
Live Stats | Live Video | Game Notes | Live Tweets - EKU clinched an OVC Tournament berth as the No. 4 seed in next week's tournament at Nashville's Municipal Auditorium.
- The Colonels (15-11, 9-6 OVC) have won three of their last four contests.
- Junior
Jalen O'Bannon leads the OVC with 14 double-doubles on the season, ranking 16th in the nation.
- O'Bannon (17.6 points-per-game),
Shameekia Murray (14.4 ppg) and
Michaela Hunter (12.3 ppg) rank in the league's top-20 scorers.
- EKU's 72.5 ppg is tied for fourth best in the OVC.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT - Tennessee Tech (10-18, 6-9 OVC) won the previous meeting, 77-72, at McBrayer Arena.
- The Golden Eagles lead the all-time series over EKU, 67-24.
- TTU's Samaria Howard averages 20.9 ppg, ranking second in the OVC.
- Alliyah Smith ranks 13th in the league with 6.3 rebounds-per-game.
UP NEXT - EKU will play as the No. 4 seed on Thursday in the OVC Tournament. Thursday's game is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET.
