Ta’Kenya Nixon is a go-getter.

She scored Eastern’s final eight points Saturday on her way to a 30-point game, pulling the “depressed” Eastern women’s basketball from its two-game hole.

The Panthers needed some positive vibes going into this weekend’s conference tournament and Saturday was their last chance.

The team was on a two-game losing streak, matching its longest of the season, and head coach Brady Sallee said the players had to want to win the last game of the regular season.

Man, did Nixon want a win.

“The two-game losing streak got us away from knowing we were a good basketball team,” Nixon said of the 22-7 Panthers. “We got a little depressed at the end of the season.”

Nixon turned her determination into a career-high 30 points, but that didn’t surprise her head coach.

“I don’t know that Ta’Kenya has ever walked out on that floor and not wanted it really badly,” Sallee said. “That kid’s passion for winning really separates her.”

Nixon said she has been a go-getter her whole life, on and off the basketball court.

The Michigan City, Ind., native said she has grown up knowing nothing was going to be handed to her.

“You can’t just wait around for things to happen. You have to make things happen,” Nixon said.

When Nixon sees her teammates looking for someone to step up, she takes the initiative because she has developed the confidence to do it.

“Somebody has to do it,” Nixon said. “I’m not going to wait around for somebody else to do it.”

Sallee said Nixon’s attitude has developed throughout her life and said it has been her driving force.

“It’s the end result of somebody who doesn’t buy into the sense of entitlement that a lot of people in (Nixon’s) generation do,” Sallee said.

He said basketball players like Ta’Kenya – those who can make players around them better, while wanting the ball in “winning time” – are at a premium in the women’s game.

“She’s got that uncanny ability to understand when she needs to take over and when she needs to keep everybody interested,” Sallee said.

The time to take over doesn’t always come at the end of the game like it did against Eastern Kentucky on Saturday, Sallee said.

Sometimes it doesn’t work out the right way, either.

“I’ve hit some game-winning shots and made some game-winning plays, but on the other side, I’ve made some turnovers and missed some game-winning shots. I’m not afraid to fail,” Nixon said.

Nixon failed Dec. 7, 2011, in a two-point loss against Missouri. She had the ball in her hands for the last shot. She missed.

“I was OK with it because she had the ball in her hands. It was where it needed to be,” Sallee said.

Sallee said Nixon is unique in that she has the ability to score 25 points a night if she wanted to; however, she spreads the wealth.

“She buys into the balance of the team,” Sallee said. “The special ones have that ability to make others better but help their team win games.”

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