The Eastern Illinois women's basketball team continued their struggles on the road, suffering an 87-70 loss at Southeast Missouri State Tuesday night.

Three years ago ABC's Monday Night Football initiated a new interactive way to introduce the starting lineups of each team's offense and defense.

With matching records at 7-6 overall, the Eastern women's basketball team will look to win its first conference game on the road Tuesday at Southeast Missouri State.

The Panther men's basketball team continues on its four-game road trip tonight at 7:30 when it travels to face the Southeast Missouri Indians in Ohio Valley Conference action.

Over winter break, Florida backup quarterback Justin Midgett, a redshirt freshman, transferred to Eastern, rejoining his Charlotte High School (Punta Gorda, Fla.) teammate sophomore wide receiver Ryan Voss.

I'm sure there are a number of people out there just like myself who are sick and tired of hearing about the brawl between the Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons Nov. 19 in Auburn Hills, Mich.

As Eastern returns from winter break the outlook for the basketball programs may discourage some Panther fans. With each the men's and women's teams opening their Ohio Valley Conference season 0-2, it's hard to find a lot to be excited about right now. Add in the fact that each of these teams, who are a combined 1-13 away from home, have two more games on the road before they open OVC play in Lantz and the forecast looks down right scary. But don't get down; there is a silver lining to this storm cloud.

The Panther men's basketball team spent much of the semester break on the road, playing on hostile ground in five of their seven games since Dec. 17. And like the Panthers' two previous road games, the team failed to record a victory.

Eastern's wrestling team lost two dual meets over break and participated in one of the nation's largest tournaments, the Midlands tournament at Northwestern University. Nationally ranked at No. 19, sophomore Kenny Robertson (21-7) was the only wrestler to place for the Panthers at the Midlands, as he took eighth at 174 pounds.

The Eastern Illinois women's basketball team split six games over the holiday break, winning three non-conference games before dropping the first two games on the Ohio Valley Conference schedule.

The Panther women's basketball team knew going on the road to face No. 12 Michigan State would be difficult. And 40 minutes of basketball proved it would be, as the Spartans dominated the Panthers 85-45 Thursday night at the Breslin Center.

After I woke up Thursday morning, I flipped on Sportscenter and was treated to a nice, sentimental piece on retiring women's soccer superstar Mia Hamm.