The Eastern women’s basketball team will be heading on the road for its next three games.

Eastern has struggled on the road in the Ohio Valley Conference season, as the Panthers have not recorded a win through four games away from Lantz Arena.

Eastern coach Debbie Black said changes are going to be made heading into this road trip.

Black said she will have her team practice before heading to Murray State and then shooting around once the team gets there.

“We kind of have to change the landscape a little bit as far as not being in the rooms too long and spending a little more time with the players, making sure they are focused,” Black said. “I think it’s a little bit mental, but you also can help prepare them that we need to win on the road.”

On Saturday, the Panthers will face the Racers, who they defeated on Jan. 20, 80-74. Eastern had five players who scored in double figures, including freshman Erica Brown, who posted her best game of the season scoring 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting and collecting six rebounds.

Brown said the main thing the Panthers need to focus on for Saturday’s game is to play their game.

“In a few of our past games, we were not playing the way we could have or should have,” she said. “On Saturday, we have to be able to repeat our last performance against them, especially since we are playing on their court.”

Murray State has been struggling as of late, as they are 1-9 in the OVC and have lost seven straight games.

According to the Murray State Ledger, Racer’s coach Rob Cross confirmed on Feb. 4, that they had lost freshman Julia Fox to a season-ending injury with a torn meniscus.

Fox averaged 10.4 points this season in OVC play and started six of the 10 conference games for the Racers, while playing 23.6 minutes per game.

That was the fourth player the Racers lost for the season. Keiona Kirby, Toni Neibler and Andrea Dickerson are also all out for the season for the Racers.

Kirby, who only played the first 16 games of the season, was the Racer’s leading scorer averaging 18.3 points per game.

Eastern guard Katlyn Payne said the Panthers would not worry about the Racers’ shortcomings.

“We do not look at teams stats or whom they have beat, because anybody can be anybody on a given day,” she said

Black said she has been impressed with Payne’s and Jordyne Crunk’s play during Eastern’s last three games, as Payne has averaged 22 points per game, while Crunk has an assist-to-turnover ratio of 3-to-1.

“Jordyne’s assist-to-turnover ratio has been absolutely fantastic,” Black said. “I think that helps a player like Katlyn as well, because Katlyn feeds off a player that can get her the ball. I think Katlyn is starting to develop into not a one-dimensional player.”

The Panthers and Racers will tip-off at 5:15 p.m. Saturday in Murray, Ky.

Bob Reynolds can be reached at 581-2812 or rjreynolds@eiu.edu