The Eastern women’s basketball team was 4-1 through five games last season with its only loss coming by four points against Sacramento State.

This season, the team is 2-3 through five games and the losses come by a combined 94 points. All but one point can be credited to Indiana State and No. 25 Dayton, which beat Eastern by a combined 93-of-94 of those total points.

Look at that statistic alone and understand that there is something different about this seasons’ team other than not having Chantelle Pressley, who graduated.

Since it’s so early in the season, though, it’s hard to put a finger on one thing as the Achilles heel.

A clear issue is the health of senior forward Sydney Mitchell. She’s playing, not starting, but she’s not up to where she wants — or needs — to be to have a big season.

She’s averaging 3.8 points per game this season in 15 minutes per game. She has only scored 19 total points and nine came in Sunday’s loss to No. 25 Dayton.

Meanwhile, starting sophomore forward Sabina Oroszova is struggling early this season. Oroszova is fourth on the team with 23.4 minutes per game, but only averages 4.8 points.

Oroszova hasn’t been as efficient as I expected, either. She’s averaging 2.4 points for every turnover — one of the worst ratios on the team.

But she is a beast on the boards this season, leading the team with 6.4 rebounds per game and she leads the team with seven blocks. Nobody else has more than two blocks.

Oroszova’s importance to the team is based on those two statistics. She protects the paint.

However, another forward has stepped up and is having a good season. Junior forward Taryn Olson averages 5.2 points per game, but plays about six fewer minutes per game than Oroszova.

Olson takes care of the ball, too, scoring about five points for every turnover.

Olson is in the top five on the team for points per minute, averaging 1.53 points per minute.

The remaining top four include: Mariah King at 2.23 points per minute, Ta’Kenya Nixon at two points, Katlyn Payne at 1.89 points, and Jordyne Crunk at 1.73 points.

Crunk and Olson are the best two off the bench; in fact, Crunk has been one of the most consistent players shooting 42.9 percent from the field, 53.8 percent from beyond the arc and is perfect from the free throw line.

Only Olson and Payne shoot the ball better from the field. Nixon shoots it better from beyond the arc, but nobody shoots it better from the free throw line.

The team isn’t running like a machine, but it has only played five games.

Yes, the Panthers have their struggles but the sample size may not be big enough yet. Stand by.

Alex McNamee can be reached at 581-2812 or admcnamee@eiu.edu.