MARTIN, Tenn. (Interstat) — A surging Tennessee-Martin squad looks to continue its strong start to the season when it hosts struggling Eastern Illinois in an Ohio Valley Conference men’s basketball matchup Saturday at Skyhawk Arena.

The Skyhawks (10-4) enter conference play having won seven of their last eight games, including a 67-60 victory over Western Illinois on Thursday. They are led by guard Filip Radaković, who is averaging 16.3 points over his last three contests. He scored 18 points in the win over Western Illinois.

Eastern Illinois (4-8) snapped a four-game losing streak with a 110-56 rout of non-Division I opponent East-West University on Dec. 22 but has not played since. The Panthers’ last game against a Division I foe was a 76-72 overtime win over SIU Edwardsville on Dec. 18.

Panthers guard Andre Washington will be a key factor if Eastern Illinois hopes to pull an upset. Washington erupted for 24 points in just 19 minutes during the Dec. 22 win and is averaging 13.3 points over his last four games.

Tennessee-Martin has shown balance, with Pedro Santos and Matas Deniusas joining Radaković as consistent scoring threats. The Skyhawks’ defense has held opponents to 64 points or fewer in five of their 10 wins.

Eastern Illinois, meanwhile, has struggled against high-major competition, suffering lopsided losses to Purdue, Kentucky, Notre Dame and Iowa State. Their offense will be tested by a Skyhawks team allowing just 66.4 points per game.

This marks the conference opener for both teams. The Skyhawks won both meetings last season.

The game is scheduled for a 4:30 p.m. EST tipoff on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026.