MACOMB, Ill. (Interstat) — Two teams seeking to escape the Ohio Valley Conference cellar will meet Thursday when Western Illinois hosts Southern Indiana at Western Hall. The Leathernecks (5-22) and Screaming Eagles (5-20) enter with identical 2-10 records in OVC play, sharing last place. Both are mired in prolonged slumps, setting the stage for a critical matchup for pride and potential seeding in the upcoming conference tournament. Southern Indiana will look to replicate its dominant performance from the teams’ first meeting. On Jan. 23, the Screaming Eagles routed Western Illinois 96-64 in Evansville, Indiana. That victory stands as Southern Indiana’s most recent win; they have since lost seven consecutive games, including a 74-82 defeat to Tennessee Tech on Saturday. A bright spot in the losing streak has been guard Ismail Habib. He is averaging 14.3 points over his last six games, including a 20-point effort at Southeast Missouri State on Feb. 7 and 17 points in the recent loss to Tennessee Tech. Western Illinois has fared only slightly better, with one win in its last eight games. That victory was a 79-70 home win over Eastern Illinois on Feb. 10, fueled by a season-high 24 points from forward Lucas Lorenzen. Lorenzen has been a consistent scorer, reaching 20 or more points in four of his last nine contests. He was held to just six points in the Jan. 23 loss to Southern Indiana. The Leathernecks are coming off a 58-77 home loss to Arkansas-Little Rock last Thursday, where Lorenzen led the team with 19 points. Following this game, Southern Indiana travels to face Eastern Illinois on Saturday. Western Illinois remains at home to host Morehead State on Saturday.