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>>Rich Moser: Welcome to another edition of Panther Sports
Talk, right here on WEIU TV. I'm Rich Moser, joined this week by EIU Men's
Basketball Coach Jay Spoonhour. And Coach, you guys are going to hit the road
here in the OVC. We'll talk about that in just a few minutes,
because you're going to finish conference play on the road.
You had two here at home this past weekend, were able to get the first one at UT Martin,
and then SEMO just kind of seemed to have enough in the tank in the end where they pulled
off that win against you guys. >>Jay Spoonhour:
Well, they're good. I mean, they're picked to win the league.
And so, they've had a flip-flopped schedule from us in that they've been on the road playing
games, we've had home games; they've had hard home games, too.
And so, I mean, I looked at who SEMO has lost to, and you know, I don't think there's any
games you'd say, wow, they just blew it. I mean, they've gone on the road and played
hard teams. So, they were good, and they did a good job
of keeping their heads up and hanging in there. And we played alright.
I mean, we played pretty well. We did some good things offensively, we guarded
them pretty well, and I thought down at the end they made some plays that, you know, they
had a couple threes that were really big where we were dropping in and helping.
And then, when they did miss a couple, they had some guys go kind of horse away from us
and got offensive rebounds. But it wasn't as though we just couldn't,
I mean, we were tied on the glass 14-14. I mean, we played pretty well.
They just made a few more plays. >>Rich Moser:
Thursday night, you guys came out against UT Martin, a team that beat you down there.
And they came out kind of really on fire. It seemed like anybody who had the ball couldn't
miss. Your guys did a really good job of weathering
the storm there, and then slowly made progress. And in the second half, those shots weren't
going down, and you guys were able to take advantage.
>>Jay Spoonhour: Well these, I mean, all these home games were,
we needed to win, we needed to try to get them all, and we did a pretty nice job.
I mean, we're coming out of this, we were in second place at the end of all that, after
SIUe and Martin, and I would have liked to have gotten the SEMO game.
But sitting there, and sitting there at second place for a while, we're sitting right at
500 right now, and you've got four of them going on the road, and it will be, you know,
be really, really hard to even, really to even get one of them.
You're going to Murray, and you're going to Peay on Thursday.
You go to Belmont, and then end up the thing over at Edwardsville.
So, you don't look at them as a big group; you look at them as, hey, let's go get Austin
Peay. >>Rich Moser:
Yeah. In the game against UT Martin, you guys were
able to, I'm sure as a coach you're happy that you're able really to empty out the bench.
Guys got to play, some guys that hadn't played all year or hadn't played in a number of games,
and especially at home, that's got to be good. So, those guys give you great work during
practice, I'm sure, and it's nice to be able to reward them every once in a while and get
them in a game. >>Jay Spoonhour:
Yeah. We haven't had a game where it was decided,
you know, in a while. We've had all pretty close games here lately.
And so, it was good that Julian could get in there.
You know, Siler got in, but Siler didn't get in there at the end; Siler made a big three
in the first half. And you know, he hasn't played as much as
he wanted to, but he does a good job. He's just a hair behind a few other guys.
But really, those are the two guys, like Julian got to play some; that was his first time
out there, so that is good. >>Rich Moser:
Now, you also went with a little bit different line up, and two different teams you had to
play there. And it seemed like you actually went bigger
against UT Martin, which gave you the advantage, and then when you played SEMO, they may be
next to you guys the biggest team in the league, in fact, that they can run some big, athletic
guys out there that can play away from the basket, too.
>>Jay Spoonhour: Yeah.
Well, and they have big, strong guards. And so, what you end up doing, like when you
have Bradley, we don't have anybody that physically matches with him, aside from maybe Keenen,
who can physically match with him. He's a 6'5", 215 pound, 225 pound guy.
And, but we were doing, we had Sherman and Pipe in there a lot together, which is maybe
different than what we've done some early in the year, but they've been playing pretty
well together. Sherman, Pipe's really played a lot better.
The thing about Pipe; Pipe has a hard time guarding, if you don't play him as a forward,
he has a hard time guarding a guy who's a guard.
And so, that's kind of the dilemma that we have on stuff like that.
But you know, every match up, the one thing you're getting is that people have to worry
about Sherman Blanford. Sherm is having really, really solid, consistent
games every time, and basically, whoever gets out there, if we can get some guy to go out
there with him and play hard and play well for a while, it's pretty good.
>>Rich Moser: Now, you guys will go back on the road this
weekend, and one of the harder swings there is in the OVC.
You guys have Austin Peay and Murray State. And Austin Peay on the front end, a team that
you guys were able to get here in Lantz Arena, so you've got to try, I mean, it's hard to
get a season sweep against anybody, and the fact that you at least have an opportunity,
since you got the first one here at home. >>Jay Spoonhour:
Yeah. I mean, you don't look at it as a sweep or
anything like that. You look at it as, you know, they played pretty
well over here, and they were without a guard. They beat us inside.
I mean, they were really good inside. And Horton and Triggs are both very good players,
and they're not dissimilar from our guys. I mean, we've got, Horton's big and blocks
shots, tall guy, and Triggs is a lot like Sherm body-wise.
And so, it will be really hard; they're hard to beat at home.
I think they've been playing pretty well. And it's a game that they really, really need
to win. We're all, all of us in our league right now,
all the gala teams are sitting in the middle, we're all in the spot where we have to go
win. And so, which team can show up and, knowing
you have to win, go perform. >>Rich Moser:
That game will be Thursday night. You'll be able to hear that on Hit-Mix on
the radio side at seven o'clock. Then, you guys go to Murray after that.
Now, you haven't played these two teams, unlike where you played SEMO two weeks ago, and they
were kind of fresh. It's been a little bit longer for Austin Peay
and Murray. Have you seen either one of these two teams
kind of change some things, based on personnel or injuries, that will give you a different
look in this upcoming weekend? >>Jay Spoonhour:
No, I think everybody's doing a lot of, I mean, people will put some different things
in, but Murray is still what they are, and that is...
I think some other, some guys have really stepped up their play, and at the time we
faced them the first time, Cameron Payne was coming off a bunch of huge games, and then
he came in here and played well. But Sapp has been unbelievable here lately.
I mean, he's had some 30 point games. And that's what you get as the year goes on,
different guys step up and come and go. And they have plenty of guys that can go make
plays. That's the hard thing about Murray is that
they've got, everyone on their team at some point can go get you.
And so, you know, whether it's Sapp, or Dexter Fields, or whoever it is, it's, you know,
going to be tough. We know Payne's good.
I mean, I watched the Belmont game, I watched the Austin Peay game.
You know, there's guys out there making some pretty good plays.
>>Rich Moser: Alright, Coach.
Best of luck down there this weekend. Reminder: Thursday, seven o'clock on the radio
against Austin Peay, and then 7:30 on Saturday down at Murray State.
That'll be the back end of the men/women's double header down in Murray State.
Be right back with this week in EIU Athletics. >>Mike Bradd:
On the stream between the circles. Fired at the left wing to Verhagen.
They lob it left, Luke Piotrowski. Takes a dribble inside and dunks it!
Piotrowskis the number two defenders in dunks at home.
>>Rameen Karbassioon: Eastern Illinois Panther Basketball is on
WEIU. It's an instate battle at Lantz Arena, as
EIU takes on Chicago State in the Panthers' regular season home finale.
It's the Panthers and Cougars, Monday, February 24 on WEIU, your home for Panther basketball.
Panther fans, here's what's going on in Panther Athletics.
Men's basketball goes one and one at Lantz Arena this past week, winning over UT Martin
91-79, and losing to Southeast Missouri State 74-68.
The Panthers are now 6-6 in OVC play, and 9-15 overall.
Women's basketball improved to 5-6 in OVC play, and 10-12 overall, picking up a win
over Southeast Missouri State at Lantz Arena 53-48.
Indoor track competed at the Notre Dame Mayo Invite this past weekend, and they posted
two first place finishes. Softball got the 2014 season underway.
They start the season 2-3. All five of their games this past weekend
were at the Illinois Chicago tournament, and both wins were against IUPUI.
Men's tennis with a split on the road last week.
They're now 2-2 to start the season. Their win came against St. Francis, Illinois
9-0. And women's tennis starts the season 3-0 with
a 4-3 win against Southern Illinois in Danville. Now, here's what to watch for this week.
On Thursday, men's basketball is on the road, and they're at Austin Peay at seven o'clock.
You can listen to that game on Hit-Mix, 88.9 WEIU.
On Friday, track begins a two day run at the Grand Valley Big Meet, with competition starting
at 10 o'clock in the morning. And softball begins play in the Louisiana-Monroe
tournament, as they'll take on the host squad at 5:30, followed by a game against Grambling
State at 7:30. Baseball with their first game of the 2014
season, and they'll begin a four game series at Louisiana-Lafayette, with game one starting
at six o'clock. And women's tennis on the road; they're at
the Purple Aces of Evansville at seven o'clock. On Saturday, track wraps up competition at
the Grand Valley Big Meet, with competition starting at 10 o'clock in the morning.
Baseball with a double header as they continue play against the Ragin' Cajuns of Louisiana-Lafayette.
The first game of the double header starts at 12 o'clock.
And it's a Panther basketball double header, as both Panther basketball teams are at Murray
State. The women's game at 5:15, the men's game at
7:30. Both games can be heard on Hit-Mix, 88.9 WEIU.
And softball continues play at the Louisiana-Monroe tournament.
They'll take on the host Louisiana-Monroe at 5:30, and Gramblings State again at 7:30.
On Sunday, softball wraps up competition at the Louisiana-Monroe tourney.
They'll take on Houston Baptist at 10 o'clock in the morning.
And baseball wraps up their series at Louisiana Lafayette, with a one o'clock first pitch.
And men's tennis is in Dayton, Ohio to take on Dayton at one o'clock.
On Monday, women's basketball in Clarksville, Tennessee, as they'll take on OVC rival Austin
Peay at seven o'clock. You can listen tot that game on Hit-Mix, 88.9
WEIU . And next Wednesday, February 19, men's and
women's swimming are at the Summit League Championships in Indianapolis, as they begin
a four day run of competition. For Panther Sports Talk, I'm Rameen Karbassioon.
WEIU is your home for Eastern Illinois Panther sports: Panther football...
>>Mike Bradd: Here comes the blitz.
Jimmy's going to throw it deep down the middle. Lora's out there... got it!
And he's on his way! Garoppolo burns the blitz!
Touchdown, Eastern Illinois! >>Rameen Karbassioon:
Panther basketball... >>Mike Bradd:
Going all the way. Laying it up, no a dunk!
Piotrowski again! Back to back rebound dunks!
>>Rameen Karbassioon: Panther greats.
[Fight Song Plays] WEIU is your home for Panther sports.
>>Rich Moser: Welcome back to Panther Sports Talk.
We're now joined by EIU Associate Women's Basketball Head Coach Kim Foley.
Coach Debbie Black's out on the road recruiting, and part of that, and Kim's been nice enough
to fill in for us. This is the second time we've had you fill
in during the year. But part of that is the way the schedule is
played out. It's given you guys an opportunity to get
out and do some recruiting for extended periods of time during the season, which is really
when you want to do it, because you want to be able to see the players in action playing.
>>Kim Foley: Really, it's been great in that respect.
Certainly, we've been able to get out on the road, and all of us have been able.
And with the new rule change that four can go out, I mean we were all out yesterday,
and it's been fun to see the talent that's in the area.
It's laden with talent all throughout here, so it's good to be able to get out, and we're
just doing the best we can to be out, be seen, and understand that Eastern Illinois has presence
on the recruiting trail. >>Rich Moser:
Now, you talk about that. You guys, the program has had success as a
whole over the last, really about five, six, seven years.
And as a new staff, that's got to be good for you guys when you're trying to get out
there, and knowing that there's been success. A lot of times when there's change in coaching
staffs, it's because success hasn't been there. And so, maybe a little bit easier getting
into some of those doors from a recruiting standpoint?
>>Kim Foley: I think definitely the brand is out there.
Eastern Illinois, from the perspective on athletics, is really well known.
I mean, there's such a great legacy here in athletics across the board.
So, we're just going to build on that and bring in the new staff.
With the background that we have, we think we can enhance that and hopefully make a run
towards an NCA tournament here in the near future.
>>Rich Moser: Now, you guys are coming off a big home win
over Southeast Missouri the other day. It's the third straight home win.
Home games are always important to win. You guys only have one more conference one.
But that one is big in the fact that now you have split the season series with a team that's
kind of right there neck and neck with you guys trying to get into the OVC tournament.
>>Kim Foley: That was a huge win for us.
And you know, every game is huge, and it's a playoff atmosphere right now.
So, each game needs to be approached that way.
But to beat the team that had beaten us soundly on the road, and to come back and win a game
when we weren't playing our best, we weren't shooting the ball well, and that's been a
little bit of a problem for us. We haven't been able to recover as well as
we would like. And I think it was a big character game.
Hopefully, it's a turning point for us to know that if the ball's not going in the basket,
we can still defend and we can win games. >>Rich Moser:
Now, I know that it's been one of the big staples that Coach Black has had, and I know
it carries over, you have a long relationship with her as a former teammate, and then both
on the college end professional level. What kind of adjustments have you guys tried
to make when the ball's not going in the basket? Teams, a lot of times, just see that deflation
when offense isn't going, and I think you guys have done a good job of not having that
happen. >>Kim Foley:
I think, you know, learned over the, doing this for a long time, that the ball has to
go in the hoop. But both Coach Black and myself prided ourselves
as players on defense. We're both sort of known for our defense.
So, we need to have a team that defends well and defends to the best of their ability.
And any time you can defend well, you can begin a game.
And that's the point that we've been really trying to hammer home, is there are days when
the ball's not going to fall; if you can continue to defend, that's the thing you can control
is the effort on the defensive end. You can't always control when the ball goes
in the basket, but those things we can control, we have to control when we can.
>>Rich Moser: Now, you guys will get back on the road this
weekend, and you'll play, a majority of your conference games remain on the road.
You'll have one more against UT Martin down in late February.
But you're at Murray State and at Austin Peay this weekend.
Murray State you get on the front end of it, and a team that you guys have already beaten
this year. So, you're, in essence, going for the sweep.
How do you, I guess, get a team not to overlook a team you've already beaten on the season,
realize that now you're going on the road; they essentially have the advantage, being
the home team. >>Kim Foley:
Yeah, I think it's the way we've been approaching each game as it's playoff time.
And we have to win every game. And so, we can only look at Murray State.
We can't worry about the Austin Peays, and the UT Martins, and the Belmonts, and SIU-Edwardsville.
What matters now is Murray State, and they're hungry certainly.
And when you've lost to a team as they did to us, they're going to be really fired up
to play us. I know they've been hit by the injury bug
a little bit. So, they're going to want to play for those
guys that have gone down. And you know, every game, as we have learned
pretty quickly here, is a battle. Anybody can beat anybody on any given day,
and that's not a cliche, that's fact. >>Rich Moser:
Now, the other thing that you have now, you haven't played, and I asked Jay Spoonhour
this a little bit earlier, you guys haven't played them as recently as you've played like
at Southeast Missouri, where some of those games and players are fresh in their heads.
What have you, and I know you in particular you look at a lot of the film and kind of
set up the additional scouting and reports. What have you kind of seen differently that
Murray State and Austin Peay are doing than what they did about a month ago when you played
them last? >>Kim Foley:
You, it's funny, not everybody is changing a lot.
I mean, you are who you are, and you try to enhance those skills in there.
You know, penetrate, kick out, shoot the three ball: both teams.
So, you know, we've got to be prepared for that and defend that again.
And then, in turn, we've got to play our style. so, a lot of focus still remains on us.
As long as we're doing what we need to do, we feel, you know, we can put a good product
on the floor, we're going to be competitive on any given night.
So, we'll defend them to the best of our ability, but it's about, you know, Eastern Illinois
right now, too. >>Rich Moser:
Now, EIU this year's been really good at home here.
We've played well at Lantz Arena, which is our backdrop today.
You guys have kind of had to, I guess, snake bitten is the nicest way stay on the road
this year. A couple neutral site wins down in North Florida.
I know Coach Black thought you guys had kind of gotten over the hump with the road woes
at that, but got back into conference and have struggled a little bit.
Is there something that you guys, some magic formula you're still trying to roll out there
to kind of get that first road win in the conference?
>>Kim Foley: We're just changing everything up.
We're trying to road trip any way we can, and to do something different.
You know, that's the thing. We can't quite figure that out yet.
You know, we feel like we're prepared, and when we take the floor, it's again that thing
about if that ball doesn't initially go in the basket, you can't let down, because you
could lose to anybody on any given night. So, on the road that's, there's not that crowd,
there's not that extra factor that's going to push you over the hump.
We have to push ourselves over the hump. So, we're ready.
You know, we're actually excited about this road trip because we want to show that we
can win on the road and perform well. >>Rich Moser:
Alright, Coach. Best of luck on the road.
Reminder: the women will play at 5:15 on Saturday, the first game of the double header.
You'll be able to hear that game on Hit-Mix, 88.9.
And Monday, they'll wrap it up on the 17th, seven o'clock down at Austin Peay, trying
to exact revenge, and even up the season series there with Austin Peay that beat them here
in Lantz Arena about a month ago. We're going to wrap up this week's show with
some highlights from some of the recent home games here.
Thanks for watching WEIU Panther Sports Talk.[Basketball Sounds and Music]
Production for Panther Sports Talk is brought to you in part by:
Johnson's Automotive Service is a proud supporter of Panther Sports on WEIU.
Johnson's is a complete car facility for all your automotive repair and maintenance needs.
Johnson's Automotive Service: keeping your life running. [Music]