RICHMOND, Ky. – Eastern Kentucky University's men's basketball team enters the final two weeks of the regular season with its final two regular season home games this week.  The Colonels will host Central Arkansas on Thursday.
 
The game will begin at 7:30 p.m. ET and air live on ESPN+.  The live radio broadcast of the game is available in the Richmond area on WCYO 100.7 FM, or worldwide on EKUSports.com.
 
EKU Campus Rec will offer a special VIP space for students at Thursday's game.  Thursday is also Diversity, Equality & Inclusion Night at Baptist Health Arena.  Fans are encouraged to join the basketball staff in wearing black to raise awareness for issues in equality.
 
INSIDE THE SERIES
-  Central Arkansas leads the all-time series 2-1.  The Bears earned a 79-72 victory last season in Richmond, and an 83-76 win in Conway.  This season, the Colonels went to Conway in January and picked up a 77-75 win. 
 
-  EKU shot 62 percent in the first half and held off a second half rally to beat UCA on Jan. 5.  Devontae Blanton finished with 22 points and eight rebounds.  Leland Walker had 14 points and five boards.  John Ukomadu and Michael Moreno contributed 12 points each.  Isaiah Cozart had a game-best 11 rebounds with eight points and two blocked shots.  Camren Hunter led all players with 25 points for Central Arkansas.
 
THE COLONELS
-  EKU (17-10, 10-4 ASUN) fell at first place Liberty on Saturday, 83-73.  The Colonels led early in the second half and closed a 15-point deficit to four with 1:56 left to play.
 
-  The Colonels have clinched a spot in the 2023 ASUN Conference Tournament.  EKU sits in third place in the conference standings and is in strong position to host a quarterfinal tournament game on Feb. 28.
 
-  Blanton scored 26 points, dished out seven assists and grabbed six rebounds against Liberty.  Over his last seven games, Blanton is shooting 50 percent from the field and averaging 20.3 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game.  He's scored 20 or more in five straight and six of the last seven.
 
-  The Colonels scored 21 points off the bench at Liberty.  EKU is 21st in the nation in bench scoring.
 
-  The Colonels are 11-3 this season when they out-rebound their opponent.
 
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
-  Central Arkansas is 9-18 overall and 4-10 in ASUN games.  The Bears have won three of their last six, including a 76-69 victory over Austin Peay at home on Saturday.   
 
-  Eddy Kayouloud led the Bears with 24 points and 10 rebounds against the Governors.  Kayouloud connected on 10-of-12 from the field.  Hunter had 13 points.
 
-  Hunter, a 6-foot-3 sophomore guard, leads the team in scoring at 16.9 points per game.  Kayouloud, a 6-foot-7 senior guard/forward, is second with 15.2 points per game, and also leads the team with 6.3 rebounds per game.
 
-  Central Arkansas has allowed 81.9 points per game and its opponents have shot 47 percent from the field.  The Bears have also been out-rebounded by nearly three rebounds per game.
 
-  On Saturday against APSU, UCA shot 48 percent from the field and held the Governors to 38 percent shooting.