A rematch of last season’s Ohio Valley Conference Tournament Championship takes place this week.

The Eastern women’s basketball team will play Murray State at 5:15 p.m. on Thursday in Murray, Ky.

The Panthers (12-6, 6-1 OVC) are tied for first in the OVC along with the Racers (11-6, 6-1).

Last season, the Racers defeated the Panthers in the OVC Tournament Championship. The Panthers were predicted to win the league this year by the coaches, and Murray State was predicted to finish second in the league, despite the Racers receiving more first-place votes.

Both teams are off to a hot start in the league.

The Panthers might have a difficult time guarding last year’s OVC Player of the Year – MSU senior forward Ashley Hayes. There’s also OVC Tournament honoree – senior guard Amber Guffey and fellow senior guard Paige Guffey.

Hayes averages 21.1 points, Amber averages 21 points and Paige averages 13.9 points per game. Those 56 points per game is 73 percent of the Racers’ scoring. The Racers average 76.6 points a game.

“We haven’t played three players who are this explosive,” Eastern head coach Brady Sallee said during Tuesday’s OVC coaches’ conference call. “The scary thing is that any one of them can score 30 in the blink of the eye.”

Hayes ranks ninth nationally in points per game, and Amber is 12th.

The Panthers’ only conference loss this season is last year’s regular season champion – Southeast Missouri, and that game was on the road. Murray lost to current fourth-place team Morehead State on the road.

But the Panthers beat Miami (Ohio), and the Racers didn’t.

First-year Murray State head coach Rob Cross said he knows that the Panthers will be a handful.

“They’re just scary,” said Cross during Tuesday’s teleconference. “They force people to shoot contested shots from the perimeter. It should be an exciting game, and there’s no question that we’ll have our hands full.”

Louisville transfer helps Lady Tigers

Tennessee State sophomore forward Jasmine Smith has been a key addition.

Smith, a Louisville transfer, is averaging 10.4 points and 7.9 rebounds per game this season. Smith has started in the past seven games and has helped the Lady Tigers to a 5-2 record in that time. The Lady Tigers (9-9, 5-2) are third in the conference.

Smith had 16 points against No. 18 Vanderbilt in a 98-82 loss in her first game as a Lady Tiger.

“She’s been getting herself into the flow of the game,” TSU head coach Tracee Wells said during Tuesday’s OVC coaches teleconference. “She’s been an offensive force for us.”

Wells said Smith was moved into the post at Louisville, but is able to be a guard on the outside. Smith, who is six-feet tall, was also a guard in high school.

She has been the team’s leading rebounder in five of their last six games.

Home-win streaks on national scale

Two OVC teams are atop the nation in home-win streaks.

Thanks to Connecticut’s win at North Carolina on Monday night, the Eastern Illinois women’s basketball team moves up on the nation’s home-win streak list.

The Panthers have won a program-record 15 consecutive games at home. That ranks them seventh nationally.

“Clearly, we’re playing well at home,” Sallee said. “It’s important to not get caught up on your record.”

Morehead State is tied for 10th with 12 straight wins.

North Carolina A&T is sixth with 16 wins, and Louisville is fifth with 17 straight wins.

Jacksonville State player transfers

Former Jacksonville State sophomore forward Cierra Duhart transferred to Fort Valley State.

Duhart had twins back in August and was supposed to play after seven or eight games, but it didn’t work out.

“She’s going to be a mom and play Division II basketball,” JSU head coach Becky Geyer said during Tuesday’s teleconference. “We’re really happy for her.”

Duhart, a member of last season’s OVC All-Newcomer team as a freshman, averaged 11.2 points and 7.8 rebounds per game with the Gamecocks.

But the Gamecocks are getting help from OVC Freshman of the Week forward Brittany Wiley.

Wiley averaged 17.5 points and seven rebounds last week.

Wiley was originally going to be a Division II player, but Geyer said they got a steal when they picked up Wiley.

“We came upon her real late, but great for us, and we’re real excited,” Geyer said.

Geyer also said they noticed Wiley when they recruiting her teammate – freshman guard Velicia Bell.

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

Eastern red-shirt junior guard Dominique Sims tries to keep possession of the ball during the Eastern women’s basketball game Saturday afternoon against Morehead State in Lantz Arena. The Panthers play Murray State at 5:15 p.m. on Thursday in Murray, Ky.

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