RICHMOND, Ky. – Fresh off a convincing sweep of SIUE, the Eastern Kentucky University men's and women's basketball teams will look to keep rolling on Saturday when the Colonels host Eastern Illinois in an OVC doubleheader at McBrayer Arena. The men will tip at 2:00 p.m., followed by the women at 4:30 p.m.

Men's Preview

WHAT TO KNOW

Live Stats I Live Video I Live Audio I Live Tweets I Game Notes I Buy Tickets
 
- EKU had its best defensive game of the year in the 78-61 win over SIUE on Thursday. The Colonels stifled the Cougars to 29.6% (16-of-54) shooting from the field (the first time they have held an opponent below 30% shooting this season) and, at one point, forced SIUE into 19 consecutive misses from the floor.
 
- EKU out-rebounded SIUE, 42-33, and outscored the Cougars in the paint, 54-8.
 
- Freshman Asante Gist poured in a career-high 25 points and matched a career-high with six assists vs. SIUE. He shot 13-of-14 from the free throw stripe. Gist leads all OVC freshmen in scoring (14.5 points-per-game), assists (4.1 assists-per-game) and minutes played (30.4 minutes-per-game).
 
- Sophomore Nick Mayo blocked a season-high three shots vs. SIUE. Junior Dillon Avare had a career-high four assists against the Cougars, while freshman Parker Chitty led the team with a career-high eight rebounds.
 
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
 
- This is the 38th all-time meeting between EKU and EIU.  EKU leads the series, 22-15; however, the Colonels have dropped two straight to the Panthers, including a 97-85 loss last year in Charleston.
 
- Eastern Illinois comes in having lost three straight games, including OVC opening losses to Jacksonville State and Morehead State.
 
- Montell Goodwin paces the Panthers at 14.7 points-per-game.
 
UP NEXT
 
Saturday's game is part of a four-game home stand for EKU. The Colonels wrap it up next week by hosting Tennessee State (Thursday, January 12) and Belmont (Saturday, January 14).
 

Women's Preview

WHAT TO KNOW

Live Stats | Live Video | Game Notes I Buy Tickets
 
- Four Colonels scored in double digits in a 75-63 win over Southern Illinois University Edwardsville on Thursday. Sophomore Abby Wright led the way with a season-high 16 points, as seniors Alexus Cooper (14), Shavontae Naylor (13), and Jalen O'Bannon (10) also scored in double figures.

- Both Naylor and senior guard Mariah Massengill dished out six assists in Thursday's win. Junior center Madison Wood turned in career-high eight points for the Colonels.
 
- Naylor was named OVC Newcomer of the Week on Monday for the third time this season. Naylor set a new career-high with 24 points in Eastern Kentucky's 74-63 win over Southeast Missouri. Naylor hit on 8-of-11 (73 percent) from the floor and pulled down eight rebounds in the win.

- Cooper (13.0 ppg), Naylor (12.8 ppg), and O'Bannon (12.5 ppg) rank in the OVC's top-20 in scoring. Naylor's 7.0 rebounds-per-game is ninth in the league. O'Bannon (48.7 percent) and Naylor (46.9 percent) also rank in the conference's top-20 in field goal percentage.
 
- Senior guard Katie Pippen (42. 9) is second in the Ohio Valley Conference in three-point field goal percentage. Pippen is 15-for-35 from deep this season. The Lexington, Kentucky native connected on 3-for-5 and scored a career-high 13 points in EKU's loss to Fort Wayne (Dec. 21). Meanwhile, Cooper (39.0) is seventh in the category.
 
- EIU leads the all-time series 18-17. The Colonels have taken three of the last five meetings, after Eastern Illinois won 10 straight. EKU won 75-56 last year in Charleston.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENT

- Eastern Illinois is 5-10 overall and 1-2 in OVC play. The Panthers fell to Belmont in the conference opener, before picking up a double-overtime win over Jacksonville State on New Year's Eve. EIU dropped a 66-62 contest at Morehead State on Thursday.
 
- Junior guard Grace Lennox's 13.8 ppg ranks ninth in the conference and leads the Panther offense. 
 
- As a team, the Panthers enter Saturday's contest shooting 42.1 percent from the field on the season—third in the OVC. EIU also ranks third from the free throw line (71 percent).
 
UP NEXT

- The Colonels continue OVC play at defending conference tournament champion, Belmont University, Wednesday. Wednesday's contest is scheduled for a 7 p.m. ET tip from the Curb Event Center.