The Eastern women’s basketball team doesn’t lose three games in a row very often, although they have lost three games straight one other time this season.

In the previous two seasons, that only happened once. But it has happened twice this season, and right now they are struggling again. Why?

Eastern head coach Brady Sallee said it best Saturday. Sallee said his team has gotten into situations where they hope to hold onto a lead.

Hoping is obviously not enough. This team is slumping right now, seriously slumping.

There are a few definitive factors that are the reason for this slump. One is injuries, and the other is young players just not playing up to the skill level of their teammates.

First, injuries have forced Sallee to keep a very slim bench. The Panthers’ bench consists of Hillary Held and Jordyne Crunk. Don’t get me wrong, both players have been impressive lately; however, no team can afford to have only two reliable bench players.

In fact, Crunk is as close to a starting bench player as a team can have. Saturday she played 27 minutes, three more than Chantelle Pressley, who started the game. Thursday, she played 36 minutes, tied for the highest on the team with Kelsey Wyss, who started the game.

Now go back to last Saturday, when Crunk played 31 minutes against Morehead State, third on the team.

It might be coincidence, but Crunk has played a large amount of minutes lately. In those last three games, the Panthers have racked up three losses.

Held is the team’s other bench player, as the Panthers have only been playing seven players most of the time recently.

Both of those players have been playing really good basketball; in fact, they’ve been playing better than some starters at times. Yet, the Panthers are still losing.

Injuries have sidelined players like Jessica Parker, usually the first player off of the bench when she was healthy, and Jackie Herman, who has had her moments, especially against Illinois State this season.

One player who is not injured, but is not playing is Taryn Olson, who used to be the first player off of the bench to sub a forward. Now, it’s Held.

Now I don’t really know what to think about Olson right now, but Held has trumped her. Olson isn’t doing anything anymore.

One key starter that is slumping is Sydney Mitchell. At least, she is slumping in the three losses. Besides Saturday, when she scored nine points, she had only scored a combined eight points in the two games prior.

Another problem for Eastern right now is the defense. The Panthers are getting beaten up by at least one player on the opposing team each game, in their three losses.

It started last Saturday, when Eastern watched Chynna Bozeman go for 30 points against them. In that game, three other Morehead State players scored in double figures.

They are in an uncommon slump right now, losing three games in a row, so it will be interesting to see how this young team responds.

There are only three teams in the Ohio Valley Conference with a winning overall record. Eastern is not one of them.

Although overall record doesn’t matter down the line to win the OVC, the Panthers’ conference record, 5-4, is in jeopardy of falling to even with, or below, a 500 record.

Alex McNamee can be reached at 581-7944 or admcnamee@eiu.edu.