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CHARLESTON, Ill. – As Eastern Illinois women's basketball travels to the heart of the Bluegrass State for games at Morehead State and Eastern Kentucky, the road trip will double as a homecoming of sorts for the program's three Lexington natives – head coach Brady Sallee and freshmen Chantelle Pressley and Pilar Walker.

 

The Panthers (17-7, 10-2 OVC) enter the week in second place in the Ohio Valley Conference, a half-game behind Murray State. Eastern plays at fifth-place Morehead (14-11, 8-5 OVC) Thursday at 4:15 p.m. (CST) and eighth-place Eastern Kentucky (6-16, 3-10 OVC) Saturday at 3 p.m. (CST).

 

While Murray (10-1 OVC) hosts Tennessee Tech and Jacksonville State this weekend, the marquee contests on the schedule are the EIU-Morehead game and Saturday's Austin Peay-Tennessee State game in Clarksville. APSU & TSU are currently tied for third place with 9-4 OVC marks.

 

Morehead is located approximately 60 miles east of Lexington, while Richmond is about 30 miles south. Pressley and Walker joined EIU's program in the fall after leading their Lexington-Dunbar High School team to a No. 1 ranking in the state. Sallee also grew up in Lexington.

 

Earlier this season, Pressley and Walker put together their top all-around games as EIU defeated Morehead and EKU at home. Pressley scored a season-high nine points on three field goals and three free throws in 12 minutes vs. the Lady Colonels. Two days later against the Eagles, Walker finished with a season-high seven points on 3-of-4 shooting in 10 minutes. Since then both freshmen have seen their playing time increase.

 

Along with having some more old friends and family in attendance, the back-to-back games against Morehead and EKU also feature some notable coaching colleagues of Sallee's. Second-year MSU coach Mike Bradbury is a close friend and first-year EKU coach Chrissy Roberts was on the same staff as Sallee at East Carolina.

 

EIU swept the Morehead-EKU trip last season for only the second time as an OVC member. Maggie Kloak (22) and Lindsey Kluempers (15) both posted career-high scoring totals in the Morehead win. Megan Edwards hit a game-tying 3-pointer at the end of regulation and five Panthers scored in double-figures in the overtime win in Richmond two days later.

 

Morehead State saw its 14-game home court win streak end in its last game at Johnson Arena, losing to Austin Peay by two points on a last-second shot by Ashley Herring. The Eagles are the only OVC team to defeat Murray State this season.

 

Morehead continues to lead the league in 3-pointers (8.3) and blocked shots (6.5) per game, ranking among the Top 10 nationally in both categories. The Eagles attempted a season-high 36 3-pointers in the first meeting with EIU, making a season-low four. For the year, MSU is averaging 26 3-point attempts per game. However, in the five games since losing in Charleston on Jan. 17, the average has dropped to 18.6 3-point attempts.

 

Rachel Galligan and Kloak combined for 36 points on 11-of-15 shooting from the field in EIU's 70-52 win against MSU. The two post players helped foul out Brittany Pittman, the nation's second-leading shot blocker, in only 18 minutes. She still managed to score 13 points.

 

On the perimeter, Chynna Bozeman (70 3s) and Tiffany Hamilton (58 3s) have nearly combined for as many made triples as EIU has made as a team (136). However, the Panthers have led the OVC in 3-point percentage defense for much of the season.

 

Eastern Kentucky's current nine-game losing streak began with its Jan. 15 loss in Charleston. The Panthers held the Lady Colonels to 44 points, matching the lowest total by a visiting DI opponent in EIU's OVC era (1997-present). The Panthers have also won five of the last six meetings.

 

OVC Freshman of the Year frontrunner Kayla Drake leads EKU in scoring at 15.9 points per game thanks in part to 50 3-pointers. She scored 12 points on 3-of-8 shooting in the first meeting.

 

Dominique Sims and Kloak led the Panthers with 18 points apiece. Sims connected on a career-high four 3-pointers en route to a 7-of-10 showing from the field. She was 5-of-5 from the field in EIU's overtime win in Richmond last season.

The WBCA's Pink Zone week begins Feb. 13, with Saturday being designated as EKU's game to promote breast cancer awareness and prevention. The Panthers will host a similar event in their next home game, Thursday, Feb. 19 vs. UT Martin. Additionally, the regular-season home finale against league-leading Murray State had been designated a $1 admission game at Lantz Arena.

More Info: Contact Ben Turner, Asst. SID