Today’s game will not just pit first-place Southeast Missouri against second-place Eastern.

Southeast Missouri (17-6, 12-2 Ohio Valley Conference) and Eastern square off in one of the biggest games of the conference season for either team.

Winning this game will help either team move toward the regular season OVC title.

Despite being the top two teams in the conference, Eastern and SEMO share another similarity. Both teams have suffered through injuries to their top players, but overcome those stretches to win games.

“It shows how tough both teams are mentally,” said Eastern head coach Brady Sallee. “Mental toughness goes a long way in having yourself where both teams are right now.”

Tonight the two teams play at 5 p.m. at the Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau, Mo.

“We will have our hands full for a chance to be competitive,” said SEMO head coach John Ishee. “This race is a long way from being over.”

The Panthers (14-10, 13-3) started out the season 0-7 but then won six straight. They also have won five straight this season and are currently on a two-game win streak.

Southeast Missouri started out the season 0-4 but then won its next five games, and the Redhawks are currently on an eight-game winning streak.

The injury bug has hit both teams, but they persevered.

“Through the course of a 20-game conference season, of course you’re going to run into some adversity whether it’s injuries or sickness or it’s just not shooting the ball well or whatever it may be,” Sallee said. “Really, the key to remain on the top of the league is how you handle that adversity.”

Eastern junior forward Rachel Galligan sat out of five games with a broken toe. That allowed sophomore forward Maggie Kloak to step in and contribute. Kloak averages 6.4 rebounds and 4.6 rebounds. Sophomore guard Jessica Huffman had to sit because of stress fracture and missed a game because of the flu, and junior guard Ellen Canale rolled her ankle against Eastern Kentucky and missed a game.

The Redhawks played without their star senior center Missy Whitney for the past two games. Whitney has only played in 19 of the Redhawks’ 23 games this season. Whitney, the OVC preseason player of the year, missed the past two games because of an elbow injury.

“She had limited practice (on Monday),” Ishee said. “One of her teammates bumped her in the arm as they were running down court. She’s still pretty tender. She’s kind of day-to-day. I don’t know.”

Whitney averages 14.9 points and 7.0 rebounds.

“Oh, she’ll play,” Sallee said.

But with Whitney out, it’s allowed SEMO junior forward Crysta Glenn to take her place. Glenn earned averages 6.3 points and 6.0 rebounds. SEMO junior guard Tarina Nixon plays through chronic back pain and averages 11.0 points per game.

“She’s definitely a first-team all conference kid the way she’s playing right now,” Sallee said. “She’s the engine that makes them go. We’ve got to figure out a way to slow her down.”

Kevin Murphy can be reached at 581-7944 or at kjmurphy@eiu.edu.

Sophomore guard Dominique Sims drives through two Austin Peay defenders during the women’s last home match in February. The Panthers travel to Cape Girardeau to take on the Southeast Missouri Redhawks on Thursday evening. (John Bailey

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