The top two teams in the Ohio Valley Conference will face off for the first time this season as the men’s basketball team travels to Tennessee Tech Thursday, the first of four consecutive road games.

Tennessee Tech sits atop the league with a perfect 7-0 record while Eastern has compiled a second-best effort at 5-2.

“I’m sure their players are focusing on us and they’re going to be prepared to play,” head coach Rick Samuels said. “We have a great respect for their program, as I’m sure they have respect for ours in return. But we’re not going to slip up on them.”

Eastern used its extra time off to prepare for Tech after having Saturday off from any competition. Tech, on the other hand, returns home after defeating Tennessee State Saturday 77-68.

“Our energy level is good and they’ve responded especially well to a few different tactics in practice,” Samuels said. “They’re refreshed and everyone is ready to go.”

Tech will welcome Eastern to the Eblen Center where the Golden Eagles will hope to extend its 21-game winning streak. The Golden Eagles have not lost a game since Dec. 21 when they were defeated by North Texas.

Eastern has used the long week to focus on Tech’s defense, which typically forces offenses to speed up their plays.

“We need to be aware of the changes and recognize what defense we’re attacking,” Samuels said. “They’re going to be strong with the ball and have several schemes to trap you.

“We’ve talked about being patient because we know they’ll try to speed us up.”

But when Eastern puts Tech on the defensive, the Panthers have just one goal.

“If we shoot the ball well, they’ll be a chance for us,” Samuels said.

Junior Henry Domercant will be looked at as Eastern’s offensive spark in Thursday’s game as he remains the nation’s No. 2 leading scorer, averaging 26.8 points per game. He has reached the 30-point plateau 10 times this season, most recently was 32 points against Austin Peay Jan. 24.