At 2-4 in the Ohio Valley Conference, Eastern’s men’s basketball team is in less than an ideal spot in the conference standings.

The Panthers have lost three consecutive OVC games, with a tough stretch coming up they could find themselves in a bigger hole come conference tournament time.

With probably their toughest stretch of the season coming up, the Panthers could find themselves on the outside looking in at the tournament.

The first game in this stretch is against Jacksonville State, and it will be the only easy win Eastern will have. The Gamecocks have improved from last season, but they are still a bottom dweller in the lowly OVC. At 2-6 in conference play, Jacksonville State is ranked 10th in the standings. The Panthers should have little trouble getting a win on the road, but then the schedule takes a hard turn.

Eastern then travels to Murray, Ky. To take on the No. 9 ranked Murray State Racers. The Panthers were blown out at home by the Racers and will most likely have an even harder time on the road.

The Panthers then return to Charleston for a three-game home stand, but all three games are against tough teams.

First entering Lantz Arena is Southeast Missouri State, who the Panthers lost to on the road 80-73 in the first meeting. SEMO is currently 5-2 in the OVC, which puts them in second place.

Then the Panthers take on Eastern Kentucky. The Colonels are always a solid, not-great team, but they will provide a challenge for Eastern. This should be a winnable game and hopefully give the team a little momentum heading forward.

The final game of the home stand is against defending conference champion Morehead State. Morehead lost a lot of its talent over the off-season, but it is still one of the better teams in the conference. At 4-4 the Eagles are tied for sixth in the standings, but if the Panthers want a shot at the conference tournament this is a must-win game.

Rounding out the very tough streak is Tennessee Tech. It is a fundamentally sound team that can beat teams with the three-point shot or down low. The Golden Eagles are 4-3 in the OVC right now and should stay above the .500 mark when this game is played, meaning this will be a hard but winnable game for the Panthers.

If all goes well, the Panthers should hope to end this stretch at 3-3 or 4-2, and be in a good position to make a push in the conference tournament. But if their current streak continues they could easily go 1-5 or 0-6. A losing skid like that would guarantee a seat at home, while the majority of the OVC is fighting for a tournament championship.

Rob Mortell can be reached at 581-7944 or rdmortell@eiu.edu.