Heading into this weekend’s Ohio Valley Conference matchups, the Eastern women’s basketball team has its work cut out for them.

With a current record of 0-8 in conference, the Panthers look to capture their first conference win on Wednesday against Murray State.

The Panthers are lead by junior guard Phylicia Johnson who has ruled the Eastern offense. Johnson has averaged 13.5 points per game and has scored in double figures in three of the last four games.  Johnson tied her career high of five rebounds three times so far this season.

Junior forward Erica Brown has led the defense for Eastern, recording two blocks against Austin Peay; the fifth game in a row she has earned two or more blocks. So far this season, she has thirty blocks recorded which is ranked fourth in the OVC.

Murray State is ranked 10th in the OVC after falling to Southern Illinois-Edwardsville who is currently ranked first.

Ke’Shunan James led Murray State with 19 points and five assists in the 64-61 loss, while Jashae Lee scored 12 points and finished with seven rebounds, three steals, and a pair of blocks.

SIUE comes off their win against Murray State with a 7-1 OVC record. The Cougars are set to play Austin Peay on Wednesday in Clarksville, Tenn.

Shronda Butts continues to be an offensive force for the Cougars, as she led all players in the game with 28 points.  She shot 9 for 17 from the field, and made 8-of-9 free throws. The previous OVC Player of the Year also racked up eight rebounds.

Austin Peay comes in off their win against Eastern. They are currently ranked 4th in the OVC, with a 5-2 record in conference play.

Tiasha Gray led the Governors with 17 points. She was one of four players to score in the double-digits, which includes Tearra Banks, Falon Baker, and J’Nayah Hall. Austin Peay also capped off the win with 19 assists and 32 field goals made.

The current rankings for the OVC are lead by SIUE, followed by UT Martin (5-1), Belmont (5-2), Austin Peay (5-2), and Southeast Missouri (5-3) rounding out the top five, but those are subject to change as their records are so close.

Other matchups for Wednesday include Tennessee Tech at Morehead State, Jacksonville State at Eastern Kentucky, and Tennessee State at UT Martin.

Maria Baldwin can be reached at mjbaldwin@eiu.edu