The Eastern women’s basketball team knows the situation.

It has faced dominant post player after dominant post player this season.

Tonight will be no different when the Panthers face reigning Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year Tatiana Conceicao and a red-hot Southeast Missouri team.

In the first meeting between the teams in Charleston, the 6-2 senior center scored 15 points and grabbed 17 rebounds.

Her numbers were mostly negated by freshman center Rachel Galligan.

Galligan posted a strong game as well as she notched 13 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks.

Times have changed since the last meeting on Jan. 5, when the Panthers won 70-61. The Redhawks (16-7, 13-3 OVC) have won 10 straight since then and are a half game out of first place in the OVC with Tennessee Tech.

The Panthers (10-14, 9-7) are on the other side of the spectrum as they have dropped three of their last four games to fall to fifth place in the OVC.

“I think we just played harder than they did in the last game,” Eastern coach Brady Sallee said. “We know that at their place it’s going to be more difficult.”

The measure of difficulty starts and ends with Conceicao. Although she had a big game and SEMO lost last time, Sallee knows that it can’t happen again if the Panthers are to win in Cape Girardeau, Mo.

“The key is going to be us attacking their pressure and controlling Tatiana,” Sallee said. “We’d like to play her one-on-one without any double-teaming.”

The person in charge of playing Conceicao one-on-one will be Galligan.

Galligan said she is used to the constant pressure of playing dominant post players.

“She’s one of the best post players in the league,” Galligan. “She’s athletic, she rebounds, and she’s tough. She’s definitely up there with the best post players in the league.”

Sallee took it one step further as he feels that Conceicao has WNBA aspirations and will play pro basketball somewhere some day.

“She not only can hurt you down on the block, but the perimeter as well,” Sallee said. “I think it’s a kid that has a chance to tryout for a WNBA team in the future. There’s a lot of basketball in front of her.”

Galligan may not be on the same level as Conceicao, Tennessee Tech’s Emily Christian or Austin Peay’s Ashley Haynes, but Sallee believes his freshman center is not far behind.

“All those players can do multiple things, while Rachel is more comfortable with just playing on the low block,” Sallee said. “But, I think with natural progression she has a chance to be mentioned with those three some day.”

Sallee also likes Galligan’s fearless attitude when matched up with other post players.

“I’m ready to take her on,” Galligan said. “I want to play better than the last game against (SEMO).”

Senior guard Megan Sparks said the Panthers had a “relaxed” week of practice last week, but Galligan says the intensity that was missing in the two losses to Austin Peay and Tennessee-Martin is back.

“There’s more of a sense of urgency at practice than last week,” Galligan said. “We know it’s coming down to do or die.”