SIUE Cougars (7-8, 1-1 OVC) vs Belmont Bruins (13-4, 3-1 OVC)

Monday, January 17, 6:00 p.m.
First Community Arena (4,000)
Edwardsville, Illinois

LAST TIME
SIUE won its third consecutive road game at Eastern Illinois, defeating the Panthers 66-53 Thursday. SIUE got out to a strong start, jumping out to leads of 6-0 and 13-4. The Panthers pulled within two (31-29) at half. After EIU tied the score at 31 to start the second half, SIUE scored the next seven points and 11 of 13 to pull away for good. The Cougars shot 50 percent (14-28) from the field in the second half and connected on 46 percent of its shots for the game. The Cougars outrebounded the Panthers 50-28, marking their most rebounds against a Division I opponent this year.

CONFERENCE CALL
SIUE is playing its 11th Ohio Valley Conference season. The Cougars are 54-117 in OVC play. Head Coach Brian Barone has a 13-26 record in OVC play. 

SIX PACK
Six nonconference wins are the most for SIUE since it began playing an OVC schedule in 2011-12.

FOUR SCORE
Ray'Sean Taylor has won the OVC Freshman of the Week award four times this season, incuding last week. He is the first SIUE player to win more than three weekly OVC awards in the same season. 

CLAMPING DOWN
SIUE is one of the OVC's best defensive teams, allowing 65.6 points per game, which is third. Cougars' opponents are shooting just .394 overall and .297 from three-point range, which both are the best marks in the OVC and 31st and 42nd, respectively in the NCAA.

SHARP SHOOTERS
SIUE shot 46 percent at EIU. It marked the ninth time this year that the Cougars have hit at least 45 percent of its shots in a game. SIUE connected on a season-high 52 percent of its shots Dec. 8 vs. Purdue Fort Wayne. Last year, the team's season-best was 58 percent against Tennessee Tech.

CRASHING THE BOARDS
The Cougars lead the OVC at 39.7 rebounds per game, which is 34th in the NCAA. SIUE is fourth in total rebounds at 596. The Cougars lead the OVC in offensive rebounds at 13.3 a game, which is 20th in the NCAA.