The Panthers will try to regroup this weekend as they visit the Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks in search of their first road win. Coach Linda Wunder knows it will not be an easy task.

“Tennessee-Martin is a very offensive-minded team,” Wunder said. “They basically look to outscore their opponents.”

Eastern will have to play 40 minutes of solid defense if it expects to come out on top. “We have to play great defense that will hopefully lead to some easy baskets for us on the other end,” Wunder said.

Stopping Tennessee-Martin’s two leading scorers, forward Julie Young (19 points in the last meetings) and forward Amy Watson (18 points in the last meeting, 16.5 for the season), will be vital for the Panther’s success.

“We focused more on Amy (Watson) last game, but we will be prepared for both of them this time,” Wunder said.

The Panthers won the first meeting 81-70 at Lantz Arena.

The Panthers will have to do their fair share of scoring Saturday to repeat their win earlier this season. Big efforts will be needed from junior guard Lauren Daily (14 points in the last meeting, 13.0 points per game for the season) and senior Brooke Gossett (17 points in the last meeting, 10.3 for season), along with steady contributions from the rest of the team.

“We shot the ball well last game,” Wunder said. “We will need that again if we expect to win.”

Both teams are coming off two-game losing streaks, and would like to get back on track before the start of the OVC Tournament. The Panthers are currently a game out of fourth place in the OVC, and with a win on Saturday and a Morehead State loss to Tennessee-Tech, the Panthers could move into the fourth spot, and possibly earn a first round home game in the OVC Tournament. This would be a great accomplishment for the Panthers, but Wunder knows the team’s success will be measured by their ability to win on the road.

“These last four games are critical for us,” she said. “We have to prove to ourselves that we can win on the road, just in case we don’t get a home game in the tourney.” Eastern has three road games in the next three weeks against past opponents they have beaten at home earlier this season. Wins over Tennessee-Martin, Murray State, and Tennessee State would give the Panthers great confidence and a good seed going into the OVC Tournament.

Wunder says the Panthers shouldn’t look past Tennesse-Martin this weekend, but they should also realize what is at stake. The Panthers last four game will provide a good opportunity for them to end the season on a positive note.

“Knowing that we have beaten them before, gives us great confidence going into Saturday,” Wunder said.

After defeating the Skyhawks by 11 points in their last meeting, the Panthers should be confident going into Saturday’s game. The Panthers’ believe a road win Saturday would help set a positive tone for the rest of their season.