Game #27
Lindenwood (8-18, 2-11 OVC)
at Eastern Illinois (12-14, 6-7 OVC)
Match Information:
Date: Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024
Location: Charleston, Ill.
Venue: Groniger Arena
Tip-Off: 3:30 p.m. CT
All-Time Series: 1-2
Last Meeting: L, 68-78
Live Stats: Stats
Live Video: Watch

Matchup
The Lindenwood men's basketball team hits the road for the another OVC battle on Saturday, Feb. 17 as they take on the Panthers of Eastern Illinois at 3:30 p.m. in Charleston, Ill. Lindenwood is fell earlier this season against EIU at home by a final score of 78-68.

The Lions are coming off a tough loss in a battle across the Mississippi River against SIUE on Thursday by a final score of 91-63. Lindenwood was held to under 33.0% shooting from the field for their third straight game. Jeremiah Talton scored 18 points to lead the Lions.

Eastern Illinois currently ranks seventh heading into the week with a 6-7 conference record. Eastern is coming off a win on Thursday at home against Southeast Missouri State by a final score of 75-57. EIU has won two of their last three games in OVC play.

During OVC competition, the Lions are averaging 62.5 ppg which ranks 11th among all OVC teams. They are shooting 38.8% during those games which also ranks 11th. Throughout the entire season, LU is averaging 65.0 points a game behind the Lion's two leading scorers Keenon Cole (18.7 ppg) and Darius Beane (12.5 ppg). The duo combines for 47.9% of Lindenwood's scoring.

To begin the season, the Lions were picked to finish 10th in the Ohio Valley Conference as they begin their second Division I season in program history under head coach Kyle Gerdeman.

Player to Watch
Jeremiah Talton is coming off a career-day on Thursday after scoring a season high 18 points against SIUE. Of Lindenwood's five three-pointers on Thursday, Talton had four of them. He leads the team this season with 34 made threes.

He has scored in double digits eight times this season including four times in OVC play. Talton is the third leading scorer for the Lions averaging 7.0 ppg. He is also shooting 39.6% from the field and a team-high 35.8% from deep.

OVC Top Ten
Cole sits in third place in the OVC this week in scoring while averaging 18.7 points per game. He ranks third in the conference in total points after Thursday's 14-point game with 487. He also ranks ninth in free-throw percentage at 80.2%, eighth in field-goal percentage (42.0%) and third in minutes averaging 34.4. Cole ranks ninth in rebounds averaging 6.5 this season.

OVC Preseason Rankings
In a vote of Ohio Valley Conference head men's basketball coaches and communication directors, Morehead State has been picked the preseason favorites for the 2023-24 season. It marks the second-straight year the Eagles have been tabbed the favorites.
 
The Eagles picked up 20 of 22 first-place votes (teams could not vote for themselves); Tennessee State picked up the other votes.  MSU tallied 200 points and was followed by SIUE (162), who was picked second. Tennessee State (153) was picked third and followed by UT Martin (149), Southeast Missouri (124), Tennessee Tech (120), Little Rock (85), Western Illinois (80), Southern Indiana (63), Lindenwood (40) and Eastern Illinois (34).

Scouting Eastern Illinois
The Panthers are led by third-year head coach Marty Simmons. Simmons has a career record of 26-62 in his first three season including a 14-35 OVC record. This season, his team is averaging the seventh most points in the conference at 68.7. They are also allowing the third fewest points averaging 67.1.

EIU has four double-digit scorers including leading scorer Tiger Booker who is averaging 15.5 ppg in his first season at EIU. Booker ranks ninth in the conference in scoring while shooting 42.9% (7th in the OVC). Nakyel Shelton is also averaging 11.0 ppg in his first season at EIU.

Head Coach: Kyle Gerdeman
Kyle Gerdeman enters his fifth year at the helm of the Lindenwood men's basketball program in the 2023-24 season. The Lions concluded their inaugural Division I season in 2022-23 where Gerdeman led the Lions to an appearances in the OVC Tournament after a wild finish to the season.

The Lions took down in-state rival Southeast Missouri State in double-overtime to keep their postseason hopes alive.  In the final game of the regular season, Lindenwood needed a win to move on, and Kevin Caldwell Jr. answered the call with a game-winning bucket in overtime.

Lindenwood led the OVC in free-throw percentage (75.6), and was second in the OVC in three-point percentage (39.1).  Chris Childs held the top spot in the league with a free-throw percentage of 92.7, while Keenon Cole was atop the OVC with a three-point percentage of 51.0 percent.  The Lions clawed their way to three overtime wins on the season.  Lindenwood also posted two comeback victories from 20 points down, and another 17-point comeback during OVC play.

Up Next
The Lions come home to Hyland Arena for their final two home games of the season starting off with UT Martin on Thursday, Feb. 22 at 7:30 p.m. CT. For more information go to lindenwoodlions.com.