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EASTERN ILLINOIS (8-6, 2-0) at Eastern Kentucky (7-6, 1-1)
January 7 • 6 p.m. CST
McBrayer Arena (6,500) • Richmond, Ky.
Radio: Hit Mix 88.9 FM
Ryan Piers, radio play-by-play

THE OPENING TIP
The Panthers conclude a seven-game road swing at Eastern Kentucky on Monday night. EIU looks to extend its win streak in the series history with the Lady Colonels to 11 games while staying unbeaten in OVC play this season. EIU has won three consecutive contests following winter break.
 
Eastern Kentucky is 7-6 on the year and 1-1 in conference play following an overtime home loss to SIU Edwardsville on Saturday, 73-69. The Lady Colonels currently rank first in the OVC in scoring defense (59.8 ppg) while ranking third in rebounding margin (+3.1). Jade Barber leads the team in scoring (12.8 ppg) and rebounds (10.2 rpg). EKU also features a starting lineup of five seniors.  
 
COACHING MATCHUPS
Lee Buchanan enters his first season as the head coach of the Panther women's basketball program after previously serving five seasons as an assistant and associate head coach at EIU. Buchanan has a 364-222 overall record in 20 years of head coaching, previously coaching at Brescia University (1986-98), Francis Marion (1998-2002) and the University of Missouri-St. Louis (2003-07).
 
Chrissy Roberts enters her fifth season at the helm of her alma mater, posting a 45-80 overall record with a 0-8 mark against the Panthers. She previously was an assistant coach at East Carolina (2002-08), EKU (1998-99, 2000-02) and Tennessee Tech (1999-2000). The 1998 OVC Player of the Year holds the NCAA record for career three-point field-goal percentage. 
 
SERIES HISTORY AGAINST EASTERN KENTUCKY
EIU leads the all-time series 16-14 against the Lady Colonels. The Panthers have won 10 consecutive games between the two schools and have not dropped a game in Richmond, Ky., since a 78-69 defeat on Jan. 13, 2007.
 
Last year, the Panthers won both matchups with EIU defeating EKU 64-51 in Charleston on Feb. 6 before picking up a 79-76 road win in Richmond, Ky., on Feb. 25. Ta'Kenya Nixon averaged 24 points per game in the two contests including a 30-point performance in the win at EKU on Feb. 25.
 
LAST TIME OUT
The Panthers are coming off a 78-58 conference win at Morehead State on Jan. 5. EIU hit 50 percent of its shots and 54.2 percent of its three pointers (13-for-24). The Panthers were one three pointer shy of tying the single-game school record. Katlyn Payne led three players in double figures with a career-high 17 points. EIU also outrebounded the Eagles by 17 (40-23).
 
PANTHER NOTES
• The Panthers grabbed 17 more rebounds than the Eagles, 40-23, on Saturday night in Morehead , Ky. EIU has posted 10 or more rebounds than their opponents in a game on five occasions this season.
 
• EIU hit a season-high 13 three points in the win at Morehead State, one shy of tying the program record for three pointers in a game. Six different players drained a three pointer in the contest led by Katlyn Payne and Kelsey Wyss who combined for eight, three pointers.
 
• Katlyn Payne scored a career-high 17 points against Morehead State, going 6-for-9 from the floor and 5-for-8 from behind the arc. Through two OVC games, she leads the Panthers in scoring with 16 points per game while connecting on 57.9 percent of her field-goal attempts (11-for-19) and 52.9 percent of her three pointers (9-for-17).
 
• In the Panthers last three games, Ta'Kenya Nixon has averaged 12.7 points per game while hitting 62.5 percent of her shot attempts (15-for-24). The senior guard has also averaged 4.7 rebounds per game and 6.7 assists per game in those contests.
 
• EIU went 25-for-50 from the floor in the win at Morehead State, connecting on 50 percent of its shot attempts. The Panthers have only hit over 50 percent of their field goals twice this season with their season high coming in a win at Tennessee State (58.5 percent).
 
• Kelsey Wyss dished out a career-high seven assists in the win at Morehead State. The senior guard is second on the team with 30 assists.
 
• The Panthers had 20 assists on 25 made field goals at Morehead State. EIU has had 20 or more assists in a game five times this season.
 
• Mariah King has improved from the foul line throughout her career, connecting on 75.9 percent of her free throws this season to rank 10^th in the conference. The senior forward only hit 58.8 percent of her free throws last year.
 
• In six career games against the Lady Colonels, Ta'Kenya Nixon has averaged 18.2 points per game to go along with 7.5 rebounds per game and 4.8 assists per game. Sydney Mitchell has added 10.5 points per game and 6.8 rebounds per game in those contests.
 
• Junior Jordyne Crunk currently leads the OVC in free throw percentage, connecting on 88.2 percent of her free throws (30-for-34). She is 15-for-16 from the charity stripe in the Panthers last four games.
 
• The Panthers pace the OVC in three-point field goal percentage as they have knocked down 36.1 percent of the shots from behind the arc. EIU also ranks second in the OVC in made three pointers with 92, averaging 6.6 three pointers per game.
 
• EIU has posted more rebounds than their opponents nine times this season, including five games in a row. The Panthers are 7-2 when winning the battle on the glass and have a +3.2 rebounding margin on the year – the second highest mark in the conference.
 
• EIU currently leads the OVC in assists, averaging 15.3 assists per game. Ta'Kenya Nixon paces the Panthers with 5.6 assists per game, the second highest average in the OVC. Nixon also ranks fourth in the OVC in steals as the senior guard has recorded a team-high 37 steals on the year.
 
• Jordyne Crunk has hit 41.2 percent of her three pointers, going 14-for-34 from behind the arc. The junior guard ranks third in the OVC in three-point field goal percentage.
 
 • Freshman Alece Shumpert and junior Jordyne Crunk played together in high school as both players attended Althoff Catholic HS in Belleville, Ill.
 
KING ENTERS THE 1,000 POINT CLUB
Senior Mariah King eclipsed the 1,000 point mark in her career in the Panthers home loss to Bradley, becoming the 21st member of the 1,000 point club. King now has 1,181 points and ranks 17th in career scoring at EIU.
 
LOOKING TO JOIN THE 1,000 POINT CLUB
Seniors Sydney Mitchell and Kelsey Wyss look to break the 1,000 point career milestone this season and join classmates Mariah King and Ta'Kenya Nixon who have already netted over 1,000 points. Mitchell has 882 points and Wyss has 792, respectively.
 
NIXON ON PACE TO SET SCHOOL SCORING RECORD
Senior guard Ta'Kenya Nixon has scored 1,616 career points, needing only 276 points to pass Rachel Galligan (2006-09) as the school's all-time leading scorer. The Michigan City, Ind., native has increased her scoring average every season, scoring 14 points per game as a freshman to last year's 16.3 points per game average.
 
NIXON IN THE CAREER RECORD BOOKS
Senior Ta'Kenya Nixon currently ranks fifth in career points (1,616), fourth in career steals (241) and third in career assists (530). She also ranks second in free throws made (468) and eighth in rebounds (669) and field-goals made (556).
 
WYSS IN THE CAREER RECORD BOOKS
Senior Kelsey Wyss ranks second in career three pointers made with 139, needing 24 more to surpass Lauren Dailey (2001-04) as the school's all-time leader. She also ranks fifth in three-point field goals attempted (379).
 
IT'S A NEW ERA: HEAD COACH LEE BUCHANAN
On May 29, 2012, EIU hired Lee Buchanan to guide the Panther women's basketball program after spending the previous five seasons as an assistant and associate head coach. During his five years on the bench, EIU has had its most successful five-year run since the program began. EIU has made three consecutive postseason tournaments twice playing in the Women's WNIT and once in the Women's Basketball Invitational (WBI). The program has amassed 106 wins with three, 20-win seasons in the last four years. EIU has played in three OVC Tournament Championship games in the past five seasons and won its first regular-season OVC title in 2010.
 
THREE PANTHERS EARN ALL-OVC PRESEASON HONORS
Seniors Mariah King, Ta'Kenya Nixon and Sydney Mitchell were named to the Ohio Valley Conference's Preseason Team as selected by conference head coaches and sports information directors on Oct. 23 at the conference's annual media day. Nixon is a two-time 'OVC Defensive Player of the Year' and a three-time All-OVC First Team selection while King has been named to the All-OVC Second Team twice.
 
EIU PICKED TO FINISH SECOND IN WEST DIVISION, RECEIVE FIVE FIRST PLACE VOTES
EIU was picked to finish second in the OVC's West Division and received five, first-place votes behind divisional favorite and defending OVC champions UT Martin who received 19, first-place votes. This season the OVC will split into two divisions with the addition of Belmont to the league.
 
SIU Edwardsville was selected to finish third in the west division followed by Murray State, Austin Peay and Southeast Missouri. Tennessee Tech was tabbed to capture the east division, earning a total of 15, first-place votes. Eastern Kentucky was picked to finish second followed by Belmont, Morehead State, Tennessee State and Jacksonville State.
 
NIXON NAMED SENIOR CLASS AWARD CANDIDATE 
Senior Ta'Kenya Nixon was named a candidate for the Senior CLASS Award for women's basketball on Wednesday, Oct. 31. The guard is one of 30 players to be selected to the initial award's list.
 
To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence – community, classroom, character and competition.
 
EIU WOMEN'S HOOPS, A WINNING TRADITION
From the start of the 2007-08 season through the 2011-12 campaign, the Panthers had three, 20-win seasons while advancing to three postseason tournaments. EIU participated in the WNIT in 2010 and 2012 and the Women's Basketball Invitational (WBI) in 2011.
 
EIU posted an overall record of 106-55 during that span with a 72-18 OVC record and a 59-14 record inside Lantz Arena. Furthermore, the Panthers' .658 winning percentage was the third best in the state of Illinois among women's basketball programs only behind Illinois State and DePaul.
 
PANTHER NEWCOMERS
EIU welcomes two newcomers to the program this season in Danielle Woolfolk and Alece Shumpert. Woolfolk averaged 14 points per game during her senior season while adding four assists and steals per game while Shumpert averaged 14.9 points per game and 2.8 rebounds per game.
 
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
After facing the Lady Colonels on Monday night, the Panthers will play four of their next six games at home beginning with Jacksonville State (Jan. 12) and Tennessee Tech (Jan. 14).