NASHVILLE, Tenn. – One step closer.

Eastern defeated Southeast Missouri, 52-40, in the semifinals of the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament on Friday at Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, Tenn.

The Panthers advance to the OVC Championship title game against No. 3 Murray State. Murray beat No. 2 Samford 68-56 in Friday’s second semifinal. They will play at 11 a.m. on Saturday at the Municipal Auditorium. The game will be shown on WEIU TV.

The winner of the championship gets the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

It is the first time Eastern will ever play in an OVC Championship game. The Panthers denied the Redhawks (23-8) their third straight OVC Tournament title. It was also Eastern’s first win against SEMO this season.

“They are the cream of the crop of the league,” Eastern head coach Brady Sallee said about SEMO.

Eastern relied upon what it has done all year: balanced scoring and tough team defense.

Sallee wasn’t surprised by the final score.

“It was going to come down to toughness,” Sallee said.

Southeast Missouri shot a dismal 22 percent (11-of-49) from the field.

SEMO head coach John Ishee said his team’s poor offensive performance was a combination of Eastern’s defense and the Redhawks not hitting shots.

The Redhawks only made 1-of-14 from behind the arc.

Eastern junior forward Lindsey Kluempers said the game plan for SEMO was different. She said they tried to limit the touches of SEMO senior forward Missy Whitney inside and tried to prevent SEMO guards from dribble penetration.

Whitney, a first-team All-OVC honoree, finished the game with just nine points.

“I just tried to stay between (Whitney) and the basket,” Eastern junior forward Rachel Galligan said. “I was able to swat (the ball) out of bounds (with the help of the weak-side defense).”

Galligan led the Panthers with 19 points. Kluempers added nine points, and Eastern sophomore guard Jessica Huffman added eight points off the bench.

The Panthers shot 38 percent from the field in the game, and finished 18-of-24 from the free throw line.

“I thought we defended the ball well,” Ishee said. “(Eastern) was just the better team today.”

Sallee said he was excited about the win and where the program was.

“This is what March is all about,” Sallee said. “Half the battle was won when I got these kids to come to (Eastern). I’m not a fool. I’m not a good coach without good players.”

The Panthers (19-12) had not beaten SEMO since the 2005-06 season.