Ohio Valley foes will lock horns when the UT Martin Skyhawks (15-12) play the Eastern Illinois Panthers (11-15) at Skyhawk Arena. Action begins at 7:00 pm ET on Thursday, Feb. 18.
The Skyhawks won a close one over Austin Peay 85-84 in their last matchup. Twymond Howard was a key piece, recording 20 points and 10 rebounds to notch his sixth double-double this season. The Panthers, meanwhile, are coming off a 72-64 loss against SIUE in their last outing. Trae Anderson had a good shooting night, leading the team with 29 points.
Over the last five games, Howard has been playing at a high level for the Skyhawks, averaging 19.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.6 three-pointers. Anderson has also been on a tear in the same span, averaging 18.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.2 blocks while leading the Panthers.
This is the second game of the season between these two teams, with the Panthers winning the first matchup 82-74. Demetrius McReynolds was a standout player in the game, producing 27 points, seven rebounds, two assists, one steal, and six three-pointers.
The Skyhawks come into this game 15-12 Straight Up (SU) and 12-9 Against The Spread (ATS).
As for their opponent, Eastern Illinois has a SU record of 11-15 and an ATS record of 10-14.
With the Panthers’ last win against UT Martin, their SU record is now 6-4 over UT Martin in their most recent meetings. The teams are even ATS, with a 5-5 record. UT Martin and Eastern Illinois each held the advantage in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers once over the last five matchups.
Predictions: SU Winner – TN-Mar, ATS Winner – TN-Mar
Notes
UT Martin scores 80.4 points per home game (ranked 74th). Eastern Illinois ranks a poor 126th in points allowed on the road, allowing 74.0 points.
UT Martin has an average field goal percentage of 43.7%. Eastern Illinois is a subpar 4-10 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The UT Martin Skyhawks and the Eastern Illinois Panthers both rank higher in average effective field goal percentage when compared to their field goal percentages. UT Martin is 199th and 168th in the nation for FG% and eFG% respectively, while Eastern Illinois is 213th and 200th in these categories.
The UT Martin Skyhawks average 5.9 steals per game. When giving up 5 or more steals, the Eastern Illinois Panthers have a poor record (6-10) this season.
