Eastern Illinois (5-8, 2-4) vs. Tennessee State (2-9, 1-7)
Gentry Center, Nashville, Tennessee; Saturday, 5 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: Tennessee State looks for its fourth straight win over Eastern Illinois at Gentry Center. The last victory for the Panthers at Tennessee State was a 77-67 win on Feb. 2, 2017.
SAVVY VETERANS: Senior leadership has been on display for both of these teams. Mark Freeman, Shakem Johnson and Ravel Moody have collectively scored 45 percent of Tennessee State’s points this season and 52 percent of the team’s points over its last five games. For Eastern Illinois, Marvin Johnson, Mack Smith, George Dixon, Sammy Friday IV and Kashawn Charles have combined to account for 59 percent of all Eastern Illinois scoring, including 72 percent of the team’s points over its last five games.
KEY FACILITATOR: M. Johnson has either made or assisted on 46 percent of all Eastern Illinois field goals over the last five games. M. Johnson has accounted for 35 field goals and 31 assists in those games.
WINLESS WHEN: The Panthers are 0-7 when they score 71 points or fewer and 5-1 when they exceed 71 points. The Tigers are 0-8 when they fail to score more than 71 points and 2-1 on the season, otherwise.
ASSIST DISTRIBUTION: The Panthers have recently used assists to create baskets more often than the Tigers. Tennessee State has an assist on 26 of 72 field goals (36.1 percent) over its past three contests while Eastern Illinois has assists on 43 of 80 field goals (53.8 percent) during its past three games.
DID YOU KNOW: Tennessee State is ranked second in the OVC with an average of 73.2 possessions per game.
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