JSU Hoops: Jacksonville State at EIU on Thursday

CHARLESTON, Ill. – The Jacksonville State men's basketball team returns to the road conference play Thursday to square off against Eastern Illinois at 7:30 p.m. at Lantz Arena. The Gamecocks then head to Edwardsville, Ill., to take on SUIE at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday.

Both games will broadcast live on ESPN+ and be available online through ESPN on WatchESPN, and the women's contest will broadcast on ESPN+. Visit espn.com/watch or download the ESPN app to view the games on a computer or mobile device.

Fans can also listen to "The Voice" of the Gamecocks, Mike Parris, on the Gamecock Radio Network and online. Parris is entering his 37th season on the mic for Jacksonville State basketball.

Jacksonville State returns home Saturday, Jan. 23 against Eastern Kentucky to open a four-game homestand.

Men's Basketball - Game 18
Jacksonville State (7-10, 2-2 OVC) at Eastern Illinois (7-9, 0-4 OVC)
January 16, 2020 | 7:30 p.m. CT
Charleston, Ill. | Lantz Arena

SERIES HISTORY
Last Meeting: Feb. 28, 2019 (W, 89-44, 2OT) – Jacksonville, Ala.
All-Time Series Record: EIU leads series 11-12

FOLLOW LIVE
Listen: Gamecock Radio Network
Watch: ESPN+
Live Stats: Click Here

GAME NOTES
Jacksonville State Notes
Eastern Illinois Notes

Tipoff Tidbits

Jacksonville State is 11-12 all-time against Eastern Illinois, but JSU has won the last four meetings in a row. The Gamecocks are 6-6 all-time at Lantz Arena. The last game JSU lost at EIU was Jan. 3, 2016.
Head coach Ray Harper is 5-0 all-time against Eastern Illinois. He was 1-0 against the Panthers as WKU's head coach and is 4-0 against EIU since coming to JSU.
Jacksonville State is one of just three programs in the country that doesn't feature two of its top three scorers in the starting lineup (Jacara Cross, 11.5 PPG, and De'Torrion Ware, 12.2 PPG). The other two programs are Detroit Mercy and Lafayette College.
Harper is just 15 wins from tying James Green for second among Jacksonville State's all-time winningest Division I head coaches. Mike LaPlante tops the list with 95 Division I wins, while Green owns 89 wins at JSU.

A win would…

Push the Gamecocks' OVC record above .500 (currently 2-2) this season.
Improve JSU's winning streak over EIU to five consecutive wins since 2016-17.
Make head coach Ray Harper 6-0 all-time against the Panthers.
Give Harper his 75th win as Jacksonville State's head coach.
Keep EIU and Southeast Missouri the only two OVC programs winless against Harper.

About Eastern Illinois

The Panthers are returning to Lantz Arena for the first time in seven games (40 days).
EIU is on a five-game losing streak that includes an 0-4 start in conference play.
The Panthers are 3-0 at home this season.
In just four games, EIU is averaging 101.7 PPG at home.
Jordan Skipper-Brown ranks as the Panthers top player in field goal percentage at 69.4 percent for the year. He is also on a streak that includes 12 consecutive successful free throws.

For more information on the JSU men's basketball team, follow the Gamecocks on Twitter (@JSUGamecocksMBB) and Instagram (@JSUGamecocksMBB), and for more information on the JSU women's basketball team, follow the Gamecocks on Twitter (@JSUGamecocksWBB) and Instagram (@JSUGamecocksWBB). For more on all Gamecocks sports teams, follow the official social media accounts of JSU Athletics on Twitter (@JSUGamecocks), Facebook (Facebook.com/JSUGamecocks) and Instagram (@JSUGamecocks).

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Players Mentioned

Jacara Cross

De'Torrion Ware

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