It’s tough not to get worked up in the emotions of a conference championship chase.

It’s even tougher when you know that your time together is nearing an end.

So for the Eastern women’s basketball team to stay poised during this chase, while also knowing that their five seniors – forwards Rachel Galligan, Lindsey Kluempers and Julie Lipperd, and guards Megan Edwards and Ellen Canale – are coming close to playing their final games as Panthers, must be emotional.

But the composure the team kept in winning a pair of Ohio Valley Conference road games last week was impressive. The win against Eastern Kentucky – a below-average OVC team – was expected, but necessary nonetheless.

The most impressive part of last week was the victory at Morehead State.

Morehead State has a solid 15-12 overall record and are the only team in the conference to defeat Murray State, the OVC’s first place team.

So, while the Panthers crushed the Eagles by 18 in their first meeting on Jan. 17, it was clear Eastern would have a battle on their hands.

With Morehead State junior center Brittany Pittman rendering Galligan ineffective for most of the game (only six points on 2-of-17 shooting), the Panthers were still able to persevere and pulled out the road victory in a tough environment.

It’s clear that a tight conference race like the one the Panthers are currently in is tough to deal with, but the prospects of such a tight-knit group coming to an end of their long journey is just as tough to deal with.

“It’s hard to talk about because it’s sad to know that we’re going to be done after this season,” Edwards said.

But while the season’s end draws near and the emotions continue to run high, the Panthers still have their eye on the prize. They knew coming into the season that they would have a shot at an OVC title, and they are not far from that goal.

With that mindset, it should not be surprising to see the Panthers playing some of their best basketball all season at this very moment.

Collin Whitchurch can be reached at 581-7944 or cfwhitchurch@eiu.edu.