The Lindenwood men's basketball team (5-8, 0-0 OVC) will hit the road on Thursday to take on Eastern Illinois (4-9, 0-0 OVC) in the first conference matchup of the season at 7:30 p.m. in Charleston, Ill.

The Lions completed the non-conference schedule with a record of 5-8, as they earned a pair of wins over NCAA Division I competition.  Lindenwood played three opponents that were ranked or currently appear in the weekly polls.  The Lions went 4-0 at home through the first 13 games.

Chris Childs led the team in points per game with 14.6, while Kevin Caldwell Jr. was not far behind at 12.8 points per night.  Cam Burrell (10.5) and Keenon Cole (10.4) each averaged double digits through the non-conference portion of the schedule.  Burrell efficiently scored at a 51.8 percent clip, while Cole (49.5) and David Ware (49.2) also took quality shots through their first 13 games with the Lions.

Lindenwood will visit Eastern Illinois who carries a record of 4-9 into Thursday's matchup.  The Panthers are on a two-game winning streak, which includes an upset win over Iowa on December 21.  Eastern Illinois went 5-26 in 2021-22, including a 3-15 record inside conference play.

The Lions will return home on Saturday for a 3:30 p.m. tipoff with Tennessee Tech for the first home conference game of the season.