Preview: Eastern Illinois Panthers at Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles

ALGOOD, Tenn. (Interstat) — The Tennessee Tech women’s basketball team looks to continue its push in the Ohio Valley Conference standings when it hosts struggling Eastern Illinois on Saturday, February 7, 2026, at Eblen Center.

The Golden Eagles (12-8 overall) enter with momentum after a decisive 68-49 road victory at Tennessee State on Monday. They have won two of their last three games.

Eastern Illinois (3-20) seeks to end a six-game losing streak, most recently a 71-56 home loss to Southeast Missouri State on Jan. 31. The Panthers’ last win was a 71-45 decision against Tennessee State on Jan. 10.

This matchup is a quick rematch of a thrilling Jan. 8 meeting in Charleston, Ill., where Eastern Illinois edged Tennessee Tech 75-74.

A key focus will be the backcourt battle between two of the conference’s top guards. Tennessee Tech is powered by Chloe Larry, who is coming off a career-high 28-point performance against Tennessee State. Over her last seven games, Larry is averaging 18.1 points.

Eastern Illinois relies heavily on Ava Stoller, who scored 22 points in the loss to Southeast Missouri State. Stoller has averaged 13.0 points over her last seven contests and will need another high-output game for the Panthers to compete.

Tennessee Tech has been strong at home this season, while Eastern Illinois has yet to secure a road victory in conference play. The Golden Eagles’ balance, with contributors like Reghan Grimes and LaReesha Cawthorn supporting Larry, presents a significant challenge for the Panthers.

The game tips off at 1:00 p.m. CST in Algood. Following this contest, Tennessee Tech remains at home to face Western Illinois on Feb. 10, while Eastern Illinois travels to face Western Illinois on Feb. 10.