NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Interstat) — A key Ohio Valley Conference rematch awaits Thursday night as the Tennessee State Tigers host the Eastern Illinois Panthers at the Howard Gentry Complex. The Tigers (14-8) will look to avenge a 74-70 road loss to the Panthers on Jan. 10 and solidify their position in the conference standings. Tennessee State enters having dropped its last outing, a 90-85 home defeat to Tennessee Tech on Monday, despite 21 points from Aaron Nkrumah and 19 from Travis Harper. Eastern Illinois (9-14) seeks to halt a three-game skid, most recently a 77-59 home loss to Southeast Missouri State on Saturday. The Panthers’ last victory came against these same Tigers last month. Player matchups at guard will be critical. Tennessee State is led by Dante Harris, who scored 16 points with five assists in the loss to Tech. In the first meeting with EIU, Harris had six points and seven assists. For Eastern Illinois, Meechie White will be a focal point. White is coming off a 15-point, four-assist performance against SEMO and was instrumental in the Jan. 10 win over Tennessee State, contributing seven points and seven assists. The Tigers have been strong at home this season and possess a more potent offense, averaging over 80 points per game in recent contests. The Panthers have struggled to find consistent scoring, failing to reach 70 points in four of their last five games. Tennessee State holds the overall edge in record and will have home-court advantage, but Eastern Illinois has proven it can defeat this opponent. The Panthers will need another disciplined defensive effort and efficient play from White to sweep the season series. After this game, Tennessee State hosts Western Illinois on Saturday. Eastern Illinois travels to face Tennessee Tech on Saturday. Tipoff is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. EST.