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EASTERN ILLINOIS (17-8, 10-2) vs Austin Peay (7-17, 2-10)
Monday, Feb. 18 • 7 p.m.
Charleston, Ill. • Lantz Arena (5,300) 
Radio: Hit Mix 88.9 FM • TV: OVC Digital Network
Ryan Piers, radio play-by-play

THE OPENING TIP
The Panthers enter Monday night's contest as winners of 12 of their last 14 contests, including six in a row. With the win over Murray State, the Panthers have a three-game lead over the Racers and UT Martin who are both tied for second in the Ohio Valley Conference's West Division. The Panthers will capture the divisional crown outright if they win two of their final four conference contests.
 
Austin Peay snapped a three-game losing streak on Saturday, picking up a 67-53 road win at SIUE. Meghan Bussabarger scored a season-high 26 points on 10-for-15 shooting while Tiasha Gray added 15 points. Bussabarger leads the Lady Govs in OVC play with 14.6 points per game while Leslie Martinez has added 11.4 points per game and a team-best 7.2 rebound per game. Austin Peay has used a variety of starting lineups this season as no players have started all 24 contests.
 
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 373-224 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).
 
Carrie Daniels is in her seventh season as the head coach of her alma mater, posting a 79-132 overall record. She was previously an assistant coach at Western Kentucky (1999-2006) and UNLV (1996-99).
 
SERIES HISTORY AGAINST AUSTIN PEAY
The Panthers trail the all-time series with Austin Peay, 21-15. EIU is 4-1 in its last five meetings with the Lady Govs and have won the last five meetings inside Lantz Arena.
 
The Panthers defeated Austin Peay in the first meeting this season, 68-43, on Jan. 19 in Clarksville, Tenn. Sydney Mitchell posted a double-double as she pulled down a career-high 15 rebounds to go along with 10 points. Ta'Kenya Nixon added a game-high 18 points and six assists while Sabina Oroszova had a career-high 13 rebounds to go along with nine points.
 
LAST TIME OUT
The Panthers defeated Murray State on Saturday afternoon, 73-59, extending their win streak to six games. Mariah King led four EIU players in double figures with a game-high 21 points. Sabina Oroszova added a game-high 11 rebounds in the victory.
 
PANTHER NOTES
• Kelsey Wyss went 3-for-6 from behind the arc versus Murray State, her 18^th career game with three or more made three pointers. The senior guard is only two made three pointers away from becoming the school's all-time leader.
 
• As a team, the Panthers have made 160 three pointers this year – the third most in Panther single-season history. EIU needs 21 more three pointers to break the record set by the 2008-09 squad.
 
• The Panthers scored 40 points in the paint against Murray State, tying a season high. EIU also had 40 points in the paint against San Jose State (Nov. 19) and Buffalo (Nov. 24).
 
• Sabina Oroszova had a career-high four blocks in the win over Murray State. On the year, the sophomore forward has 36 blocks – the eighth most in EIU single-season history. She also ranks ninth in career blocks with 61.
 
• Sabina Oroszova had a game-high 11 rebounds against Murray State. She leads the team in rebounding, averaging 6.6 rebounds per game. She now has four career games with 10 or more rebounds.
 
• Taryn Olson scored a career high 11 points in the win over Murray State, going 5-for-5 from the floor. The junior forward also added two blocks and a steal.
 
• Mariah King went 6-for-7 in the second half versus the Racers, scoring 13 points. On the year, the forward has averaged 8.7 points per game with a .526 field-goal percentage in the second half. In OVC play, King has averaged 9.9 points per game in the second stanza with a .600 field-goal percentage.
 
• Mariah King made 10 field-goal attempts in the win against Murray State, the third time this season the senior forward has made 10 or more field goals in a game. King has six career games with 10 or more field goals.
 
• Junior Jordyne Crunk leads the OVC in free throw percentage, connecting on 87.1 percent of her free throws (54-for-62). She is 28-for-32 from the charity stripe in conference games.
 
• Since rejoining the starting lineup for the first time this season on Jan. 26 against Southeast Missouri, senior Sydney Mitchell has averaged 12 points per game while connecting on 51.9 percent of her shot attempts (28-for-54). The Columbus, Ind., native has also added 8.5 rebounds per game.
 
• Ta'Kenya Nixon leads three Panthers in double figures in conference action this season, averaging 15.8 points per game. She has also added 6.3 rebounds per game and 6.3 assists per game. Classmates Mariah King and Sydney Mitchell have scored 15.3 points per game and 10 points per game in OVC action.
 
• EIU is averaging 73.3 points per game in OVC play with a .421 field-goal percentage. The Panthers have also posted a +11.5 scoring margin and +8.1 rebounding margin.
 
• In eight career games versus Murray State, senior Ta'Kenya Nixon has average 14.6 points per game, 5.6 rebounds per game and 4.6 assists per game. Classmate Sydney Mitchell has added 8.5 points per game and 6.4 rebounds per game.
 
• EIU currently leads the OVC in assists, averaging 15.9 assists per game. Ta'Kenya Nixon paces the Panthers with 5.7 assists per game, the second most in the OVC (26th nationally). Nixon also ranks third in the OVC in steals as the senior guard has recorded a team-high 63 steals on the year.
 
RECORD WHEN PLAYING INSIDE LANTZ ARENA
Since the start of the 2007-08 season, the Panthers have won 82 percent of their games inside Lantz Arena. EIU has a 69-15 home record including two, one-loss home seasons in the last six years.
 
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 1,340 points and ranks 11th in career scoring at EIU.
 
MITCHELL ENTERS THE 1,000 POINT CLUB
Senior Sydney Mitchell became the 22^nd member of the EIU 1,000 point club on Feb. 16 in the Panthers 73-59 win over Murray State. Mitchell currently has 1,000 career points while also ranking ninth in career rebounds (655).
 
NIXON ON PACE TO SET SCHOOL SCORING RECORD
Senior guard Ta'Kenya Nixon has scored 1,794 career points, needing only 98 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 third in career points (1,794) and career steals (267) while ranking second in career assists (595). She also ranks second in free throws made (512), fifth in rebounds (740) and sixth in field-goals made (621).
 
WYSS IN THE CAREER RECORD BOOKS
Senior Kelsey Wyss ranks second in career three pointers made with 161, needing two more to surpass Lauren Dailey (2001-04) as the school's all-time leader. She also ranks second in three-point field goals attempted (438). Wyss is also looking to become the 23^rd member of the 1,000 point club as the senior guard has accumulated 904 career points.
 
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 Austin Peay, the Panthers conclude its homestand on Saturday, Feb. 23 against OVC-newcomer Belmont. EIU ends regular-season action at UT Martin (Feb. 28) and against SIUE (March 2).