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CHARLESTON, Ill.--Morehead State men’s basketball takes its six-game winning streak, the longest of the season, into one of the most difficult places to play in the Ohio Valley Conference Saturday, travelling to Eastern Illinois for a 7 p.m. Eastern tip-off.
MSU split the season series last year with the Panthers, winning the game in Morehead and dropping a heartbreaker in Charleston. The Eagles are 8-19 all-time versus EIU, and Donnie Tyndall is 4-4 against the Panthers.
Morehead State got a win at Southeast Missouri thanks to some unheralded players that helped the Eagles survive a first-half slump by Kenneth Faried and Demonte Harper. Sam Goodman came up with a 16-point performance and Drew Kelly scored in double figures for the second straight game.
Eastern Illinois is struggling, having won just three times in the last nine games, most recently dropping a 63-49 decision to Eastern Kentucky Thursday. The Panthers, who are always dangerous in Lantz Arena, have three players averaging double figures. One of those players is Preseason All-OVC selection Tyler Laser. Laser has missed the last six games with an injury and is not expected to play Saturday and may be out for the season.
Along with Laser, Jeremy Granger is the other half of the dynamic duo that made the Panthers the third selection in the preseason poll. Granger is averaging 12.8 points and 3.8 assists per game. With Laser out of the picture, EIU’s next leading scorer is Shaun Pratl at 10.1 points per game and James Hollowell averages 6.3 rebounds per game.
A win Saturday would give the Eagles a sweep of an OVC road trip, something MSU did just once last season and a feat that’s key to winning the OVC regular season.
After Saturday, MSU takes a week-long break from games to prepare for a home ESPNU game with arch rival Eastern Kentucky next Saturday.
