The men’s basketball team hopes to rebound from Tuesday night’s loss to Southeast Missouri as it takes on the Tennessee State Tigers in Lantz Arena tonight.

Last year, the Tigers were able to sweep the Panthers in the season series, beating them by one and eight points respectively.

On Jan. 19, 2004, the Panthers found themselves ahead by 12 at home with less than six minutes to play when the Tigers went on a 19-7 run to tie the game with 1:21 left to play.

Sophomore guard Bruce Price scored the last 10 of Tennessee’s points, and his lay-up with 50 seconds remaining in the game sealed the come from behind 60-59 victory.

In their second game on Feb. 11, 2004, Eastern was just what Tennessee needed to break its own seven-game losing streak, as the Tigers won 75-68.

This year, the Tigers beat Eastern by 15 in Tennessee, but that was when senior guard Emanuel Dildy was in a slump. With Dildy and junior guard Josh Gomes playing well, Tennessee head coach Cyrus Alexander said Eastern has one of the strongest back courts in the game, and he expects tonight’s game to be a war.

“Every game in the Ohio Valley Conference is going to be a war now as far as jockeying for a position in the tournament,” Alexander said.

The Tigers have recently taken a step forward in their position, winning their last two games at home against Eastern Kentucky and Morehead State. Alexander said every time they win newcomers junior guard Wayne Arnold and senior center Rod Flowers are a part of the success.

“They’re big, big factors for us,” Alexander said. “It’s good to have them healthy again.”

Alexander said both Arnold and Flowers were hurt for much of January and the Tigers’ record reflects it, but they are both now close to 100 percent.

In their last two games, the Tigers are shooting 47 percent from the field. In those two games Arnold, Flowers and Price all scored in double figures, but they weren’t the only ones. In the last two games three other Tigers have scored in double figures: junior forward Eric King with 13 points against Eastern Kentucky, junior forward Kareem Grant with 20 points against Morehead and senior forward Rashaun Bowens with 16 points against Morehead.

Head coach Rick Samuels said he’s not worried about any individual Tennessee players. He said he’s worried about the whole team.

“They’re too slow getting guys off the bench to substitute,” Samuels said. Samuels is aware that from top to bottom the Tigers are solid. He knows he’s going to have to have a complete team effort to pull out of this one with a win.

“This is the time of the season to gear up and put your best foot forward,” Alexander said.

He said Eastern will be focused after its loss to SEMO. If his Tigers don’t play well, they won’t have much of a chance.