RICHMOND, Ky. – The EKU basketball teams will kick off a four-game home stand on Thursday against Belmont in an Ohio Valley Conference doubleheader.
 
Tip-off for the women's game is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.  The men's game will get underway at 8 p.m. 

Thursday is "Greek Night" at the EKU basketball games.  Students will receive FREE retro t-shirts while supplies last, there will be coca-cola samples and a VIP student lounge courtesy of Campus Rec. 
 
A live free video broadcast of both games is available worldwide on OVCDigitalNetwork.com.

Women's Preview 
WHAT TO KNOW
Watch Live (FREE) | Live stats | Live tweets | Game Notes
 
EKU is 7-12 overall and 4-6 in OVC games.
 
After averaging 18 points and 9.5 rebounds in a pair of games, A'Queen Hayes was chosen as the adidas® OVC Newcomer of the Week.  Hayes had 11 points, eight rebounds and two steals at Austin Peay, and finished with 25 points and 11 rebounds at Murray State.
 
In her last six games, Abby Wright is averaging eight rebounds per game.
 
Through 19 games this season, EKU has out-rebounded its opponent 14 times.  The Colonels are fourth in the OVC in rebounding margin (+3.8 per game).
 
Hayes is seventh in the OVC in scoring (15.4 ppg), tied for third in rebounding (8.4 rpg), 10th in assists (3.3 apg), 12th in field goal percentage (44.5 percent), eighth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.1), 14th in steals (1.5 spg), first in minutes played (36.2/g), fourth in offensive rebounds (3.3/g) and seventh in defensive rebounds (5.1/g).
 
Eastern Kentucky is third in the OVC in scoring defense (62.5 ppg), fourth in rebounding margin (+3.8), second in rebounding defense (34.2 rpg), fifth in blocks (3.3/g), fifth in rebounding offense (38.0 rpg), and fifth in field goal percentage defense (39.9 percent).
 
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT 
Belmont brings an 11-game winning streak into McBrayer Arena.  The Bruins are 20-3 overall and 10-0 against OVC teams.
 
The trio of Kylee Smith, Darby Maggard and Sally McCabe lead the Belmont offense.  Smith is a 5-foot-11 senior guard averaging 18 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.  Maggard, a 5-foot-5 junior guard, has hit 77 three-pointers and averages 17.1 points and a team-best 5.3 assists per game.  McCabe, a 6-foot-3 senior center, is scoring 14.8 points per game and pulling down 7.8 rebounds per contest.
 
As a team, Belmont averages 78 points per game and allows just 61 per game.  The Bruins have made 47 percent of their shots from the field and hold opponents to 37 percent shooting.  Belmont is among the top-100 teams in the nation in all four of those categories.  The Bruins are fifth in the country with 10.2 made three-pointers per game.
 
Belmont leads the series 16-4 and has won nine straight between the teams.
 
UP NEXT
EKU will host Tennessee State on Saturday at 4:30 p.m.

Men's Preview
WHAT TO KNOW

Watch Live (FREE) I Live Audio I Live Stats I Live Tweets I Game Notes I Buy Tickets
 
EKU (8-15, 2-8 OVC) fell at second-place Murray State, 88-73, on Saturday night at the CFSB Center.
 
Junior Nick Mayo poured in 25 points at Murray State. Mayo now ranks sixth in the OVC in scoring at 16.2 points-per-game. He enters Thursday's game three points shy of 1,400 for his career and five blocks shy of tying the EKU career blocks record (115).
 
Sophomore DeAndre Dishman had 16 points at Murray State. He also posted career highs in assists (four) and steals (six).
 
Dishman ranks second in the OVC in field goal percentage (57.3%).
 
Freshman A.J. Youngman ranks second in the OVC in three-point field goal percentage (45.3%).
 
EKU committed only eight turnovers at Murray State, its lowest total against a Division-I opponent this season.
 
With Jackson Davis (out for the season), Dujuanta Weaver and JacQuess Hobbs all out with injuries, freshman Cameron Carmical made his first career start at Murray State. The short-handed Colonels have now used 14 different starting lineups this season.
 
Thursday's game pits the top two free throw shooting teams in the conference against each other. Belmont is shooting 75.8% from the stripe, while EKU is shooting 75.2%.
 
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
Belmont (17-6, 9-1 OVC) swept Eastern Illinois and SIUE last weekend. The Bruins' lone conference loss of the season came at home to Jacksonville State, 64-60, on January 6.
 
Belmont is paced by Dylan Windler, who comes into the weekend averaging 17.4 points-per-game and an OVC-best 8.7 rebounds-per-game.
 
This is the 15^th all-time meeting between EKU and Belmont. The Bruins lead the series with the Colonels, 9-5.
 
UP NEXT
The Colonels stay at home to host Tennessee State on Saturday, February 3, at 7 p.m. ET.