�Game Notes

FAYETTE, Mo. - The Central Methodist men's basketball team travels to Missouri Valley on Thursday. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. CT.

The game can be seen online at cmueagles.com.

Central Methodist (15-11, 8-6 HAAC) at Missouri Valley (9-17, 4-10 HAAC)
Thursday, February 14 - 7:30 p.m. CT
Marshall, Mo. - Grover C. Redford Gymnasium
Live Video: cmueagles.com
Live Stats: cmueagles.com
Twitter Updates: @cmueagles

Series Information:
Last Meeting: Missouri Valley defeated Central Methodist, 81-70, on Jan. 10, 2013.
Streak:�Cental Methodist is 9-4 in the last 13 meetings between the two teams.

About Central Methodist:
Central Methodist enters Thursday's game with a 15-11 overall record and 8-6 mark in Heart of America Athletic Conference play after last Saturday's win at Avila (Mo.). The Eagles are 3-1 in their last four games.

Elliott Black leads the team and ranks sixth in the HAAC in scoring average at 15.5 points per game. Black leads the conference shooting 51.7 percent from the field. Melvin Tillman ranks eighth in the HAAC in scoring average at 15 points per contest, while Eric Franklin ranks third in the league in assists per game (4.8).

The Eagles are 5-6 in road games this season but have won their last two away contests.

About Missouri Valley:
Missouri Valley enters Thursday's matchup with a 9-17 overall record, 4-10 mark in Heart of America Athletic Conference play, and five-game losing streak, the longest active mark in the league. The Vikings were on a three-game skid before upsetting Central Methodist in Fayette on Jan. 10.

The Vikings rank 25th in NAIA Division I in steals (226), 31st in 3-point field goal percentage (0.357) and 35th in assists (346).


Banks, Jr. Shoots Eagles to Latest Victory

Central Methodist junior guard Michael Banks, Jr. shot 6-of-8 from three-point range and tied a career high with 20 points in the Eagles' 70-63 victory at Avila last Saturday. Central Methodist was 10-of-21 from behind the arc, while Avila was 0-of-11.

Banks, Jr.'s other 20 point game came against Missouri Valley on Jan. 10. He also posted a career-high eight rebounds against the Vikings.

Eagles Trying to Prevent Missouri Valley History

In 10 years at the helm of Missouri Valley, Chad Lance has compiled 143 wins. Lance will set the school's all-time men's basketball wins record with one more victory.

Stopping Epps is Key

Only a freshman, guard Jordan Epps leads the HAAC in scoring and steals and ranks in the top five of assists, three-pointers made and free throw percentage. Epps' 30 points against Culver-Stockton (Mo.) on Nov. 29, 2012, ranks as the third highest single-game scoring total by a HAAC player this season, and the freshman has three of the 10 highest scoring games this season.

Epps totaled a team-leading 17 points in the first matchup against Central Methodist this season and had three assists but also three turnovers.

Tillman, Black vs. Epps

The first matchup between the two teams was built as a showdown between Epps and Central Methodist junior guard Melvin Tillman. At the time, Epps was the leading scorer in the league, while Tillman was third. The second half of the Jan. 10 game in Fayette turned into the scoring showdown much of the crowd had expected. Tillman scored 21 of his game-high 23 points after the break, while Epps countered with 15 of his team-leading 17 points in the period. Black got in on the second-half scoring spree too, tallying eight of his 10 in the final 20 minutes.

Fast forward to Thursday. Epps still leads the league in scoring, but Black has been on a tear in the last month and currently ranks sixth in the HAAC, while Tillman is eighth.

Four Missouri Valley players scored in double figures on Jan. 10 in Fayette, compared to only three for Central Methodist.

Bench vs. Bench

Missouri Valley's bench outscored Central Methodist's 22-11. Whichever teams gets the most output from its reserves might determine the outcome on Thursday.

Franklin, Eagles Love to Share

Central Methodist ranks second in the HAAC and 11th nationally in assists. Senior point guard Eric Franklin is third in the league and 13th in the country in assists. Franklin's 15 dimes in a win at Graceland (Iowa) on Jan. 3 are the highest by a player in the conference this season and one shy of Rogie Carlock's and Brad McCarty's school record of 16 in 1988 and 1991, respectively.

Franklin recorded five assists against Missouri Valley in the first showdown in Fayette this season.

Central Methodist Ranks in Multiple NAIA Division I Categories