Trojans Looking for Road Sweep at EIU

CHARLESTON, Ill. – Fresh off a road victory at Western Illinois on Thursday night, Little Rock looks to complete a road sweep and close out its regular-season road schedule on a high note Saturday at Eastern Illinois.

The Trojans (10-16, 7-8 OVC) also have an opportunity to secure the season sweep of the Panthers (10-16, 6-9 OVC). Little Rock currently sits seventh in the Ohio Valley Conference standings, holding a one-game advantage over Eastern Illinois as both teams battle for positioning in the final stretch of the regular season.

Little Rock enters the matchup with momentum following Thursday's win, while Eastern Illinois is looking to bounce back after suffering a rivalry loss earlier this week. A win would give the Trojans back-to-back road victories and added momentum heading into their final four regular-season games, all at the Jack Stephens Center.

GAME INFO
Who: Little Rock (10-16, 7-8) at EIU (10-16, 6-9)
When: 3:30 p.m., Saturday, February 14 
Where: Groniger Arena (5,400), Charleston, Ill. 
Radio: 106.7 Buz2 (Trey Schaap, pxp) Listen HERE.
Video: ESPN+ Watch HERE.
 
SERIES HISTORY 
•EIU leads the series 5-4. 

COACH SPEAK
"We played well as a team Thursday night and were able to pick up a road win," said Little Rock head coach Darrell Walker. "It's always good to win on the road, and now we have a chance to win two in a row and come home with momentum playing the final four games."

TROJAN TIDBITS
• Johnathan Lawson delivered one of the most historic performances in program history Thursday night, recording just the third triple-double in Little Rock's Division I era. Lawson finished with 13 points, a career-high 14 rebounds, and 10 assists, tying his career mark in assists set earlier this season at Southern Illinois.
• Lawson joins Myron Gardner (13 points, 16 rebounds, 10 assists vs. UT Martin on Feb. 23, 2022) and K.K. Robinson (18 points, 12 assists, 10 rebounds vs. SIUE on Jan. 4, 2024) as the only Trojans to accomplish the feat in the Division I era.
• Cameron Wallace narrowly missed his fifth double-double of the season, finishing with 16 points and nine rebounds in Thursday's win.
• Truman Claytor enjoyed a breakout performance with a career-high 16 points, while also setting career marks in field goals made (six), field goals attempted (13), and assists (three).
• Braxton Bayless was perfect from the field, knocking down all five of his shot attempts, including three from beyond the arc. He added five rebounds and three assists in an efficient all-around effort.
• Following Saturday's matchup, Little Rock will return home for its final four regular-season games, beginning Thursday night against UT Martin at the Jack Stephens Center.

SCOUTING THE PANTHERS
•Eastern Illinois enters the contest having dropped five of its last six games, including a 79-70 loss Tuesday night to Western Illinois, which snapped a 14-game losing streak.
• Senior guard Zion Fruster leads the Panthers offensively, averaging 14.5 points per game.
• Graduate forward Kooper Jacobi anchors the frontcourt, averaging 10.2 points and a team-best 6.0 rebounds per game.
  For the latest information on Little Rock Men's Basketball, visit LRTrojans.com and follow @LittleRockMBB on Facebook, Instagram, and X.

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