The Eastern’s women’s basketball team learned a lot this past weekend from being put in situations it is not used to being in.

The Panthers trailed in the second half of both games Saturday against Tennessee-Martin and Monday against Tennessee Tech.

In the Tennessee-Martin game, they came back and tied the game but lost in overtime.

In the Tennessee Tech game, they came back and won in regulation by one point.

Eastern junior guard Ta’Kenya Nixon said the two games were among the toughest the team has played in all season, especially since they were back-to-back road games against two of the top three teams in the conference.

“We showed a lot of heart,” Nixon said. “When we got off that bus (after the trip back to campus) we were a different team.” Eastern head coach, Brady Sallee, said good teams are sometimes good because they do not trail at half or are not coming from behind in the second half; however, Eastern is the No. 1 team in the Ohio Valley Conference.

“You look at the stats and they talk about what a team’s record is when behind at the half. It’s never good,” Sallee said.

Sallee said his team was able to make comebacks, and win one of the two games, because they were able to make adjustments to the game plan during the game. The team never gave up.

“This team understands the 40-minute process,” Sallee said. Nixon said she was proud of her team for coming together and not giving up even when they were trailing by double digits.

“When you’re down 10, 15 (points) in the second half, it’s so easy to give up and use that it’s an away game as an excuse,” Nixon said. “When you’re down on Saturday, come back and lose. Then come back Monday and are put into that same exact situation, it’s easy to say, ‘It’s just one of those nights.'”

Nixon said the win over Tennessee Tech and the comeback, overtime loss against Tennessee-Martin showed the team’s character.

Nixon said the team learned from those tough road games and are now focused on Saturday’s game against Southern Illinois-Edwardsville Saturday.

Nixon said Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, although not eligible for the OVC Tournament this season, could become one of Eastern’s rivals. She said she expects that intensity out of the Cougars Saturday.

Southern Illinois-Edwardsville is not eligible for the conference tournament because its program is in transition into the OVC, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t eligible for other postseason tournaments.

“There’s a whole lot on this game,” Sallee said. “You’ve got SIU-E who is trying to play their way into a postseason tournament.”

Sallee said a win for the Cougars Saturday over the Panthers would grab selection committees’ attention.

Senior forward Chantelle Pressley said the Panthers are not approaching the game any different because the Cougars are not eligible. The Cougars have the conference’s third-best record.

“They’re right at the top of the league, so it’s a big game,” Pressley said.

Eastern’s game Saturday will be its last home game of the season and will be the last home game for Pressley.

“The only thing I’ve been thinking about is I don’t want to cry before the game,” Pressley said. “It’s going to be emotional, but I don’t want those emotions to affect my teammates before the game.”

The game is set to begin at 4 p.m. Saturday in Lantz Arena.

Alex McNamee can be reached at 581-7942 or admcnamee@eiu.edu.