NASHVILLE, Tenn. – With just three games remaining in the regular season, the Eastern Kentucky University basketball teams will try to keep their hopes alive for an Ohio Valley Conference Tournament berth when the Colonels play at Tennessee State on Saturday.
 
Tip-off for the women's game is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET.  The men's game is scheduled to begin at 8:30 p.m.
 
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 8-16 overall and 5-10 in OVC games.
 
The Colonels lost, 95-62, at No. 24 ranked Belmont on Thursday.
 
Abby Wright led Eastern with 22 points and nine rebounds at Belmont.
 
Madison Wood tied her season-high for rebounds (6) and blocks (3) at Belmont.
 
Eastern was out-rebounded by eight at Belmont, just the seventh opponent in 24 games this season to beat the Colonels on the boards.  EKU out-rebounded Tennessee State by 13 in the first meeting between the two teams this season, a 59-58 victory for TSU.
 
Eastern Kentucky leads the all-time series 40-22.  The Colonels are 13-16 against the Lady Tigers in games played in Nashville.
 
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
Tennessee State has won just two of its last 11 games, including a 59-58 victory over Eastern Kentucky on Feb. 3 in Richmond.  TSU is 5-19 overall and 3-12 against OVC teams.
 
Redshirt junior Tia Wooten leads the team with an OVC best 21.5 points per game while freshman Taylor Roberts averages 14.6 points per outing.  Kaliya Griffin (8.8 ppg) is the third leading scorer for the Lady Tigers.  Wooten and Roberts also lead the team in rebounding.
 
As a team, TSU averages 68.6 points per game while shooting 37.7 percent from the field and 31 percent from three-point range.
 
Tennessee State fell to Morehead State, 71-69, Thursday at the Gentry Center.  Wooten posted her ninth double-double of the season with 20 points and a career-high 16 rebounds.  Maxine Beard tallied 15 points while Griffin (13) and Roberts (12) also reached double figures.
 
UP NEXT
The Colonels play their final home game of the 2017-18 season on Thursday against Southeast Missouri State at 5:30 p.m.

Men's Preview

WHAT TO KNOW
Watch Live (FREE) I Live Audio I Live Stats I Live Tweets I Game Notes
 
Short-handed EKU (9-19, 3-12 OVC) hung with first-place Belmont, before falling to Bruins, 84-73, on Thursday night at the Curb Event Center.
 
Only six Colonels saw significant minutes on Thursday. The Colonels were playing without key players Dedric Boyd, Peyton Broughton and A.J. Youngman, all of whom are injured. EKU's fourth-leading scorer, junior Jackson Davis, was ruled out for the season following an injury in January.
 
Nick Mayo scored a game-high 21 points in Thursday's loss at Belmont. In doing so, he surpassed 1,500 points for his career and moved to No. 10 on EKU's all-time scoring list (1,508). He is poised to move past Turk Tillman (1,514) and Corey Walden (1,518) to No. 8 on the list soon.
 
Mayo is one of only six Colonels ever with 1,500 points and 500 rebounds in a career.
 
Mayo broke the EKU career blocks record (116) on Thursday. 
 
Freshman JacQuess Hobbs has 20 assists and only three turnovers in EKU's last three games.
 
Senior Zach Charles connected on a career-high three three-pointers and finished with 14 points at Belmont. After attempting only two three-pointers in EKU's first 24 games, Charles is now 5-of-8 from deep in the Colonels' last four games.
 
EKU, once again, leads the OVC in free throw percentage at 75.0%.
 
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
Tennessee State (15-11, 10-5 OVC) has won seven straight games after an 83-74 victory over Morehead State on Thursday.
 
Delano Spencer poured in 32 points in Thursday's win over he leads the Tigers at 15.4 points-per-game.
 
This is the 63rd all-time meeting between EKU and Tennessee State. The Colonels lead the series, 33-29; however, the Tigers have won four straight over Eastern.
 
UP NEXT
EKU returns home to host Southeast Missouri on Thursday, February 22. Tip is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. ET.