Eastern Illinois visits Fitzgerald and Tennessee State

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Eastern Illinois Panthers (13-14, 7-7 OVC) at Tennessee State Tigers (15-12, 8-6 OVC)

Nashville, Tennessee; Thursday, 8:30 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: Tennessee State hosts the Eastern Illinois Panthers after Marcus Fitzgerald Jr. scored 20 points in Tennessee State’s 68-61 loss to the Western Illinois Leathernecks.

The Tigers have gone 9-3 in home games. Tennessee State is seventh in the OVC with 12.3 assists per game led by Jaylen Jones averaging 2.7.

The Panthers are 7-7 in conference games. Eastern Illinois is seventh in the OVC scoring 68.8 points per game and is shooting 42.4%.

Tennessee State is shooting 44.3% from the field this season, 0.4 percentage points higher than the 43.9% Eastern Illinois allows to opponents. Eastern Illinois averages 5.4 made 3-pointers per game this season, 0.7 fewer makes per game than Tennessee State gives up.

TOP PERFORMERS: Christian Brown is shooting 40.2% from beyond the arc with 1.8 made 3-pointers per game for the Tigers, while averaging 13.4 points.

Tiger Booker is averaging 15.7 points, 3.1 assists and 2.1 steals for the Panthers.

LAST 10 GAMES: Tigers: 7-3, averaging 66.3 points, 31.9 rebounds, 11.4 assists, 5.4 steals and 3.3 blocks per game while shooting 44.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 63.9 points per game.

Panthers: 5-5, averaging 65.7 points, 33.4 rebounds, 11.9 assists, 8.4 steals and 3.1 blocks per game while shooting 40.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 65.5 points.