CHARLESTON, Ill. (Interstat) — Two teams seeking momentum amid difficult starts will meet Wednesday when Eastern Kentucky visits Eastern Illinois in a nonconference men’s basketball game at Lantz Arena. Both the Colonels (2-7) and Panthers (2-6) enter the 7 p.m. CST tipoff looking to build on sporadic performances. Eastern Kentucky is coming off a 122-67 rout of Indiana-East on Saturday, while Eastern Illinois fell 82-74 to Lindenwood the same day. The matchup features a pair of standout performers carrying the offensive load for their respective teams. Eastern Kentucky will rely on guard Juan Cranford, who has scored in double figures in five of his last six games. He is averaging 16.0 points over that stretch, including an efficient 18 points in 19 minutes during Saturday’s win. Eastern Illinois counters with forward Kooper Jacobi, who has been a consistent scoring threat. Jacobi is averaging 14.0 points per game overall and dropped 20 points in the loss to Lindenwood. His season high of 20 points also came in the season opener at Notre Dame. The Colonels’ victory over Indiana-East was an offensive outburst, with Austin Ball adding 20 points and Montavious Myrick contributing 10 points, five assists and two blocks. However, Eastern Kentucky has struggled against Division I competition, with its only other win coming against Midway. Eastern Illinois’s two victories came against Nicholls State and Tiffin, but the Panthers have faced a brutal road schedule with losses at Notre Dame, Kentucky and Purdue. Defensive consistency will be a key question. Eastern Kentucky has allowed 89.3 points per game in its seven losses to Division I opponents. Eastern Illinois has shown its own vulnerabilities, allowing 81 points or more in four of its six defeats. Wednesday’s game represents a critical opportunity for both programs to secure a rare win before continuing challenging stretches. Following this contest, Eastern Kentucky hosts Miami (Ohio) on Saturday, while Eastern Illinois travels to face Iowa State on Sunday.