The Panthers might feel like they are reliving the same horrible dream over and over.

After trailing the second-place team in the Ohio Valley Conference, Eastern Kentucky (16-6, 8-2), by three points at halftime Monday, Eastern (5-17, 4-7) suffered another second-half collapse resulting in a 78-59 loss.

“Coming in, this could have been a huge game for us,” freshman guard Megan Sparks said. “Coming in, we knew what they were going to do, and they knew what we were going to do. It was just a matter of who played smarter.”

Eastern scored five points in the first eight minutes of the second half, allowing the Colonels to build a 16-point lead early in the second half.

The Panthers led the Colonels for much of the first half. Their lead never grew beyond eight points. For most of the first 16 minutes of the game, Eastern led with the exception of six ties and a pair of one-point Eastern Kentucky leads.

The Colonels stifled the Panthers with a smothering full-court press, creating 24 turnovers in the game. The Colonels’ press created 12 points off turnovers and eight fast break points.

The Panthers were the victims of poor shooting in the second half. They made 30.3 percent from the field.

“Unfriendly? (The rim) wasn’t very kind at all,” Eastern head coach Linda Wunder said. “It isn’t supposed to be that way at home.”

Junior center Allison Collins blamed Eastern’s poor shooting on bad shot selection.

“A lot of the time we panic in the second half,” Collins said. “We rush our shots and take whatever we can get.”

Eastern Kentucky’s two leading scorers, junior guard Katie Kelly and sophomore center Miranda Eckerle provided the team with 41 points. Kelly scored 22 points, most coming from the free throw line. Kelly was sent to the line for 11 attempts converting on 10 of them.

Eckerle controlled the game inside, making 7-of-12 from the field and all five of her free throw attempts for 19 points.

“They have such strong players inside,” junior center Allison Collins said. “It was difficult tonight.”

Eastern’s starting lineup combined for 33 points with Sparks leading the way with 13. Sparks made Eastern’s only two three-pointers in the game. Junior center Allison Collins came off the bench to score 11 points. Sophomore Rachel Karos gave Eastern some its few highlights of the game when she came in off the bench. Karos made four steals and scored 11 points as well.

Monday’s loss will not drop Eastern in the standings. With four games left on its schedule, Eastern has a legitimate chance of finishing in the top four in the OVC and earning a home game for the OVC Tournament.

The schedule is not easy for the Panthers, who have not won a road game this season.

“Three of our last four games are on the road,” Wunder said. “Of these teams (Tennessee-Martin, Murray State and Tennessee State) we play on the road, we have beaten at home.”

Wunder stressed the importance of being able to win on the road.

“You can’t go into the OVC tournament expecting to do anything if you can’t win on the road.”

The Panthers were the victims of poor shooting in the second half. They made 30.3 percent from the field.

“Unfriendly? (The rim) wasn’t very kind at all,” Eastern head coach Linda Wunder said. “It isn’t supposed to be that way at home.”

Junior center Allison Collins blamed Eastern’s poor shooting on bad shot selection.

“A lot of the time we panic in the second half,” Collins said. “We rush our shots and take whatever we can get.”

Eastern Kentucky’s two leading scorers, junior guard Katie Kelly and sophomore center Miranda Eckerle provided the team with 41 points. Kelly scored 22 points, most coming from the free throw line. Kelly was sent to the line for 11 attempts converting on 10 of them.

Eckerle controlled the game inside, making 7-of-12 from the field and all five of her free throw attempts for 19 points.

“They have such strong players inside,” junior center Allison Collins said. “It was difficult tonight.”

Eastern’s starting lineup combined for 33 points, with Sparks leading the way with 13. Sparks made Eastern’s only two three-pointers in the game.

Collins came off the bench to score 11 points. Sophomore Rachel Karos gave Eastern some of its few highlights of the game when she came in off the bench. Karos made four steals and scored 11 points as well.

Despite losing Monday, Eastern remains a game out of fourth place after Morehead State and Tennessee-Martin lost. With four games left on its schedule, Eastern has a legitimate chance of finishing in the top four in the OVC and earning a home game for the OVC Tournament.

The schedule is not easy for the Panthers, who have not won a road game this season.

“Three of our last four games are on the road,” Wunder said. “Of these teams (Tennessee-Martin, Murray State and Tennessee State) we play on the road, we have beaten at home.”

Wunder stressed the importance of being able to win on the road.

“You can’t go into the OVC tournament expecting to do anything if you can’t win on the road.”