Defense looks to shutdown Jones
Eastern head coach Brady Sallee said he thinks Eastern Kentucky sophomore forward Alex Jones is one of the best post players in the conference.
Jones averages a double-double this season, 15 points and 10 rebounds per game.
“We have problems with big, strong post players, so that concerns me,” Sallee said.
Jones is fourth in the Ohio Valley Conference in scoring and second in rebounding.
Sallee said aside from good post play, he expects EKU to play hard, with a high intensity level.
“Chrissy’s (Roberts, EKU head coach) teams are going to play hard, they’re going to compete and they’re going to try to make it extremely tough to score,” Sallee said.
The way Sallee expects EKU will play is going to force Eastern to pick up its intensity level Thursday in Lantz Arena.
No matter the Colonels’ record – EKU is 4-10 – Sallee said Eastern will have to play with more intensity than it would against any other team in the OVC.
Sallee said EKU has a lot of talent that has not all come together yet.
One of the talented players, Sallee says, is Reese Bass, a transfer from the University of Michigan.
Sophomore guard Ta’Kenya Nixon said she expects EKU to play hard too.
“Coach says they are similar to SIU-E – they didn’t give up,” Nixon said.
In Eastern’s game against Southern Illinois-Edwardsville (SIU-E), the Panthers and Cougars went into overtime, where the Panthers would prevail by a slim margin.
“Eastern Kentucky always plays hard,” Nixon said.
Nixon said it would help the team to have Lantz Arena packed with fans on Thursday. EKU is 0-5 on the road this season.
Sallee said playing in Lantz Arena is always a nice advantage.
“If I could play all of our games here, I would,” Sallee said.
Last season, in Eastern’s two games against EKU, the Panthers won both games. Jones combined for 23 points and 18 rebounds in the games.
With two big games this weekend, Eastern is playing Morehead State on Saturday, Sallee said his team needs to take it one game at a time.
“We’ve got to be ready Thursday and not concerned whatsoever with Saturday, and that’s the message I’ve been trying to send,” Sallee said.
Tip off is set for 5:30 p.m. Thursday in Lantz Arena.
Alex McNamee can be reached at 581-7944 or admcnamee@eiu.edu.
Defense looks to shutdown Jones
Chantelle Pressley, a junior forward, goes up against Valparaiso Dec. 30 in Lantz Arena. The Panthers now have a record of 8-7 after their 68-43 win over Southeast Missouri Saturday. (Audrey Sawyer
