CHARLESTON, Ill. (Interstat) — Two teams seeking to halt lengthy slides will meet Saturday when Eastern Illinois hosts Arkansas-Little Rock in an Ohio Valley Conference men’s basketball matchup at Lantz Arena. The Panthers (10-16) and Trojans (9-16) enter the Valentine’s Day contest mired in similar struggles. Eastern Illinois has lost four of its last five, while Arkansas-Little Rock is riding a five-game losing streak. The game is a quick rematch of a Jan. 15 meeting in Little Rock, which the Trojans won 74-63. A key player to watch will be Arkansas-Little Rock guard Johnathan Lawson. The senior has been a consistent offensive force, averaging 17.1 points per game over his last seven contests. He scored 18 points in the Trojans’ most recent outing, a 71-61 home loss to SIU Edwardsville on Feb. 7, and poured in 22 points, five assists and three blocks in a narrow loss to Lindenwood on Feb. 5. Eastern Illinois will counter with forward Kooper Jacobi, who is coming off a 40-minute, 19-point performance in a 79-70 loss at Western Illinois on Tuesday. Jacobi’s production has fluctuated, but he remains a central figure for the Panthers, having scored in double figures in three of his last five conference games. Both teams have found wins hard to come by in league play. The Panthers’ last home victory was a 105-49 rout of non-Division I Blackburn on Jan. 18. Their last OVC home win was a 57-55 decision over Western Illinois on Jan. 13. The Trojans’ last win overall was that Jan. 15 victory over these same Panthers, part of a brief two-game winning streak that now feels distant. With the OVC tournament on the horizon, the matchup represents a critical opportunity for either squad to build momentum. Defense may be the deciding factor; in their first meeting, the Trojans held Eastern Illinois to 37% shooting from the field. Replicating that effort on the road will be Arkansas-Little Rock’s challenge, while the Panthers will look to leverage home court to split the season series and climb the conference standings. Tipoff is scheduled for Saturday afternoon in Charleston.