Saturday, March 1st, 7:00 p.m. (et).

FACTS & STATS: Site: McBrayer Arena (6,500) -- Richmond, Kentucky. Television: None. Home Record: Tennessee St. 7-5, E. Kentucky 9-6. Away Record: Tennessee St. 5-9, E. Kentucky 5-8. Neutral Record: Tennessee St. 0-2, E. Kentucky 0-0. Conference Record: Tennessee St. 9-10, E. Kentucky 10-9. Series Record: Eastern Kentucky leads, 22-20.

GAME NOTES: Ohio Valley Conference rivals will close out their regular season schedules tonight in Richmond, as the Eastern Kentucky Colonels host the Tennessee State Tigers at McBrayer Arena. Tennessee State comes in with a 12-16 overall mark and a 9-10 ledger in OVC play. The Tigers dropped a tough 84-76 decision to Morehead State on Thursday, marking the club's third loss in the last five contests. As for Eastern Kentucky, it has struggled of late, dropping four of its last five, including a 65-59 final against Austin Peay on Thursday. The Colonels are an even 14-14 on the year, and they have compiled a 10-9 mark in league action. Eastern Kentucky holds a narrow 22-20 advantage over Tennessee State in the all-time series.

A second-half meltdown doomed Tennessee State on Thursday night, as the Tigers allowed Morehead State to erase a 19-point halftime deficit to take the eight- point victory. MSU outscored the Tigers 55-28 during the second stanza, and TSU committed 17 turnovers in the setback. Gerald Robinson scored a game-high 24 points and grabbed five rebounds to lead TSU, while Bruce Price added 15 points in the losing effort. LaDarious Weaver checked in off the bench to chip in 11 points for the Tigers. Tennessee State averages a solid 75.0 ppg this season, and is led by Price and his 17.8 ppg. Price also leads the club in assists with 134, while Robinson and Jerrell Houston also own double-digit scoring averages with 15.5 and 10.8 ppg, respectively.

Eastern Kentucky averages just 63.2 ppg this season, and the Colonels are shooting a mediocre 44.1 percent from the field. Mike Rose paces the club with 15.8 ppg, and he is joined in double figures by Darnell Dialls and Adam Leonard, who tally 12.3 and 11.4 ppg, respectively. Dialls' 6.4 rpg paces the club, while Leonard has handed out a team-best 85 assists. EKU shot just 37.7 percent from the floor, including 8-of-23 from beyond the arc during Thursday's six-point loss to Austin Peay. The Colonels shot a miserable 30.6 percent from the floor during the second half, and allowed 13 APSU points off 10 turnovers. Rose posted a game-high 19 points to lead EKU, while Leonard added 11 points to go with five rebounds in the losing effort. Josh Taylor logged 10 points, and Dialls grabbed 11 rebounds for the Colonels.

Expect to see a solid defensive performance from the Colonels, as they outlast a game Tennessee State squad.

Predicted Outcome

Eastern Kentucky 66, Tennessee State 61