Jan. 30, 2007

CHICAGO - Loyola University Chicago (14-9, 5-5 Horizon) will host Eastern Illinois (6-16, 2-11 OVC) of the Ohio Valley Conference in an O'Reilly ESPNU BracketBusters game on Saturday, Feb. 17 it was announced today. Game time is to be determined.

This marks the fourth straight season Loyola has drawn a game from the BracketBusters pool of teams and is the second consecutive year the Ramblers are hosting a game. Loyola is 2-1 in its previous BracketBusters contests, falling to Illinois State in 2004, before knocking off Evansville and Fairfield the following two campaigns.

Loyola and Eastern Illinois have met four times previously, but not since Dec. 15, 2001, when the Panthers earned a 94-78 victory in Charleston, Ill. The two teams met on two prior occasions at the Gentile Center, with EIU winning both contests by a combined seven points. Eastern Illinois leads the all-time series, 3-1, with Loyola's only victory coming in a 75-59 decision on Nov. 29, 1997, in the first-ever meeting between the teams.

A total of 51 games are included in this year's event, which features its largest field over (102 teams representing 16 conferences). As part of the O'Reilly ESPNU BracketBusters contract, each team agrees to a home-and-home series with its opponent, with the return game to be played in November or December of the following season.

Loyola returns to action when it travels to Cleveland State, Feb. 1.