CHARLESTON, Ill. (Interstat) — A pair of Ohio Valley Conference men’s basketball teams seeking momentum will meet Saturday when Eastern Illinois hosts Southern Indiana at Lantz Arena. The Panthers (11-16) enter on a more positive note, having snapped a two-game skid with a 78-72 home victory over Arkansas-Little Rock on Feb. 14. Guard Zion Fruster led the way with 17 points, four rebounds and six assists, continuing a strong stretch where he has averaged 15.4 points over his last five contests. Eastern Illinois will rely on his backcourt production against a struggling Screaming Eagles defense. Southern Indiana (5-20) arrives mired in a six-game losing streak, most recently falling 82-74 to Tennessee Tech on Feb. 14. Despite the team’s struggles, guard Ismail Habib has been a bright spot, averaging 17.2 points over his last five games, including a 20-point performance at Southeast Missouri State on Feb. 7. The Screaming Eagles’ offense has frequently stalled, failing to reach 60 points in three of those six losses. This matchup is a quick rematch of a Jan. 22 meeting in Evansville, which Eastern Illinois won 59-51 in overtime. In that defensive struggle, Southern Indiana shot just 28.8% from the field. Reversing that offensive inefficiency will be paramount for the visiting Screaming Eagles. The game pits one of the conference’s lower-tier offenses in Southern Indiana against an Eastern Illinois squad that has shown inconsistency but possesses more proven scoring options. The Panthers won the rebounding battle decisively in the first meeting, 45-34, an area Southern Indiana must improve to have a chance on the road. Saturday’s contest offers Eastern Illinois an opportunity to build a winning streak and improve its seeding for the upcoming OVC tournament, while Southern Indiana desperately seeks a spark to salvage the final weeks of its season. Tipoff is set for 4:15 p.m. EST.