OVC Hoops – Saturday’s Five Games

Can Anyone Win on the Road?

(St. Louis, MO) – There is a full slate of Ohio Valley Conference games on today’s schedule, but can anyone win on the road? Through the first three rounds of OVC hoops play, the visitors have won two of 15 games.

Five teams are 2-1 and five are 1-2 in this crazy, parity filled league. Three of those two-win teams play at home today, with the advantage of building some momentum and trying to distinguish themselves. By the end of today’s action there will be a minimum of six of the teams with at least two wins through four conference games.

It looks like this race will be as tightly contested as a backyard brothers’ brawl.

Today’s OVC Hoops Schedule 

Eastern Illinois (6-10, 2-1) @ Morehead State (9-7, 2-1)

This is the only matchup of a pair of 2-1 teams. EIU won two early home games and after two contests were the surprisingly only undefeated OVC squad. The Panthers lost at Tennessee Tech on Thursday.

Preseason favorite Morehead State is the one team that experts expect to distance themselves from the field. NAIA all-American Alex Gross is giving coach Preston Spradlin solid post play and the Eagles are 6-1 at home this year.

Game time is 2 pm on ESPN+.

Tennessee State (9-7, 1-2) @ Lindenwood (7-9, 2-1)

Lindenwood earned one of those rare road victories when they defeated Little Rock on Wednesday and now hopes to defend its home court against the Tigers. While TSU was picked second in the OVC hoops preseason poll and boast of two of the league’s top five scorers, Christian Brown, the team’s third leading scorer is out for the season with an injury.

The Lions’ dramatic, come-from-behind victory gave them a leg up in the race and are undefeated (5-0) at home.

Game time is 3:30 pm on ESPN+.

Tennessee Tech (5-11, 1-2) @ UT Martin (10-6, 2-1)

Tech earned its first OVC hoops victory at home Thursday and are something of a mystery. They lost at SIUE by 13 points and at Lindenwood by 18 and then spanked EIU by 21 on Thursday.

The Skyhawks lead the league in scoring, assists, rebounds and assist-to-turnover ratio. Roommates Parker Stewart and K.J. Simon are second and fourth in the OVC in scoring and Ryan Ridder’s team is a perfect 8-0 at home.

Game time is 3:30 pm on ESPN+.

Southeast Missouri (6-10, 1-2) @ Little Rock (5-11, 1-2)

Little Rock’s first home loss was Wednesday to Lindenwood and the Trojans have lost eight of their last eleven games. SEMO is just 2-7 on the road and have lost nine of its last eleven. This is the only matchup of a pair of 1-2 teams and each is in serious need of a win.

Redhawk guard and St. Louis native Phillip Russell and Trojan forward Myron Gardner are player of the year candidates. Russell is third in scoring and second in assists. Gardner is second in rebounding, ninth in scoring and fifth in steals.

Game time is 3:30 pm on ESPN+.

SIUE (11-5, 2-1) @ Southern Indiana (8-8, 1-2)

The Cougars and Screaming Eagles are participating in historic seasons for different reasons. SIUE is one win from tying its all-time best win total during its Division 1 history. USI is participating in its first D1 campaign and they are turning heads. ESPN oddsmakers call this the tightest game on today’s OVC hoops schedule.

USI is the league’s best three-point shooting team and SIUE is its best defensive field goal percentage leader and is the OVC’s top shot blocking squad. These are two of the league’s top three offensive rebound leaders.

These are teams with great balance. While SIUE has five players averaging double digits in scoring, USI has five averaging nine or more. How SIUE combats the double-double machine Jacob Polakovich will determine a lot about this game.

Game time is 7:30 pm on ESPN+.

Winning on the road is proving extremely difficult for these OVC squads. ‘Stealing a road game’ creates a major standings shift for any team that can accomplish that thievery.

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