Feb. 2, 2009

ATHENS, Ohio - The Ohio University men's basketball team learned on Monday that it will face Eastern Kentucky on Feb. 21 as part of the ESPNU BracketBusters event. The game's start time has yet to be announced.

The Bobcats (10-10, 3-4 Mid-American Conference) will meet EKU (13-9, 6-5 Ohio Valley Conference) for the third time in their basketball history, having taken each of the previous meetings. The two schools have not faced off on the hardwood since Dec. 14, 1989, when Ohio traveled to Richmond and came away with a 53-52 victory.

The Colonels, currently sixth in the OVC standings, boast a trio of players who average double digits in the scoring column, led by a mark of 20.4 points per game from senior guard Mike Rose. Sophomore guard Justin Stommes and junior forward Josh Taylor check in at second and third on the team in scoring with averages of 10.1 and 10.0 points per contest, respectively, for an EKU squad that averages 72.8 points per outing.

Eastern Kentucky is also 8-2 at home this season, and has won its last four contests at Alumni Coliseum. Ohio will be the third MAC team on the Colonels' schedule this year, as EKU has collected wins over both Akron and Ball State, the latter coming in Muncie.

Ohio is a member of the BracketBusters field for the sixth time in the event's seven-year history, participating in each season since the 2003-04 campaign. The Bobcats are 3-2 in their previous five BracketBusters games, including a 1-2 mark on the road in those contests.