Eastern women’s basketball is 9-0 in Ohio Valley Conference play.

On Saturday, Eastern can improve to 10-0 and stay undefeated for the first half of conference play. However, the Panthers have to play the reigning OVC champions, University of Southern Indiana.

Last year, Southern Indiana beat Eastern twice including the game that sent Eastern home from the OVC Tournament.

Panthers’ head coach Marqus McGlothan said this game is a chance for Eastern to redeem itself.

“I’m more looking forward to it,” McGlothan said. 

Last year, USI was on the same track Eastern is on this year. They were led by current senior guard Vanessa Shafford and graduate forward Meredith Raley.

Southern Indiana started OVC play 9-0 before losing its first and only conference game last season against Tennessee State.

USI now has a chance to spoil EIU’s streak this weekend.

Shafford and Raley are both back for Southern Indiana. Shafford is averaging 11.8 points and 7.1 rebounds a game, while Raley is averaging 15.1 points and 4.7 rebounds a game.

They helped lead USI to first place in the OVC for scoring offence and three-point percentage. Southern is currently averaging 74 points per game.

Southern Indiana is also solid on defense. They currently lead the conference in scoring and field goal percentage allowed by opponents and hold opponents to an average of 62.2 points per game.

On Eastern’s side, the Panthers wants to stay undefeated on the way to an OVC title.

Senior guard Kiyley Flowers said 9-0 is not enough.

“Staying together, still being aggressive, not losing the main goal that we have in mind,” Flowers said. “And, yeah, like not getting complacent and being okay with where we’re at now because where we’re at now isn’t where we want to be. We want to be champions.”

Eastern just came off of a 54-point win over Morehead State. Flowers, however, said the score doesn’t matter.

“We can’t really look at the score of this game,” Flowers said. “But what we can look at is the energy that we took from this game.”

Eastern comes into Saturday averaging 63.7 points per game but only giving up 62.3 points per game.

Redshirt sophomore Ella Lune said the teams needs to stay uncomfortable so they are ready for anything Saturday.

“I think just preparing well, staying locked in, staying focused, not getting too comfortable,” Lune said. “Coach [McGlothan] has just talked about not staying comfortable, and so just keeping that hunger for that championship.”

Senior forward Macy McGlone said even though Southern knocked Eastern out of the tournament last year, the Panthers have a new team and is ready for Saturday.

“It’s a new season. We have a lot of new players and like a pretty different team,” McGlone said. “So yeah, they knocked us out last year, but either way, it’s just another conference game that if we want to reach our goal, we got to win.”

Southern Indiana comes into the game ranked second in the OVC with a 7-2 record.

Eastern sits in first with a record of 9-0. The game is on Saturday with a tip-off scheduled for 1 p.m. in Groniger Arena.

Patrick Schmitz can be reached at 581-2812 or at pfschmitz@eiu.edu.