Rachel Galligan didn’t even know Eastern had a women’s basketball team when she first came to Charleston.

The Panthers’ leading scorer this past season participated in the IHSA Class A Track and Field finals in Charleston while a junior and senior at Bloomington Catholic Central High School.

But she said that’s all changed.

“And I don’t even live that far way from here,” she said. “That goes to show you where the program was at.”

Galligan, a force inside with her 6-foot-2 inch frame and athleticism, has played a large part in where the program is at now.

She led Eastern to a 15-5 record in the Ohio Valley Conference, 19-13 overall and a runner-up finish in the OVC Tournament.

Galligan, the 2007-08 Daily Eastern News’ female athlete of the year, helped the Panthers get within one win from the NCAA Tournament this year.

But she isn’t just visible on the basketball court.

She’s also at track practice throwing the javelin or the shot put. She’s also the president of Eastern’s Student Athletic Advisory Committee, and she was also the student-athlete representative on the athletic director search committee.

Galligan said she, along with the coaching staff, the university, the athletic department and the rest of her teammates are trying to make Eastern women’s basketball a force in the OVC.

Eastern head women’s basketball coach Brady Sallee said it wasn’t uncommon for recruits to not know Eastern.

“You wouldn’t believe how many kids the first year that I called them had to ask if we were Division I,” Sallee said. “It was shocking to me. Demoralizing at times. We had to overcome (that point). And now, we don’t get that.”

If it was not for her father, Michael, Rachel might not even have attended Eastern.

Michael sent an e-mail to Sallee in January of Rachel’s senior season, expressing hopes that Eastern would follow up with a scholarship offer and to make Eastern aware of Galligan.

“I figured it was late,” Michael said. “She was being overlooked by schools. (Her high school) didn’t throw (her) the ball.”

Sallee’s immediate response impressed Michael.

“Brady was so positive,” Michael said. “That really struck us. He was very complimentary about us. Brady was key in that.”

It was tough recruiting battle with Illinois State, but Sallee offered Galligan a scholarship right away.

“All the word we got back on her was Illinois State, Illinois State, Illinois State,” Sallee said. “We just kind of backed off.”

But when Sallee got the e-mail from Michael, he responded seconds later.

“Not are we only interested, we’ll take her right this second,” Sallee said. “It finally got to the point where she had to make a decision, and fortunately, she chose us. And the rest is history.”

Rachel said she had offers from Illinois-Chicago and nearby Illinois State, but when she took an unofficial visit to Charleston, she was instantly hooked.

“Rachel has been lucky in some ways,” Michael said. “She could have gone to another school. It’s just worked out really well.”

And that could have included Illinois State, which has made two straight postseason appearances, including an NCAA Tournament appearance in March.

Rachel said she doesn’t know if she would have developed into the type of the player she is now if she wasn’t at Eastern.

Galligan signed to play with the Panthers on June 6, 2005, and since then, she’s made a difference at the school.

Galligan has earned First-Team All-OVC honors in basketball twice, and was the conference’s Freshman of the Year in basketball. She earned track honors by winning the javelin at the OVC Outdoor Championships last spring and competed at the NCAA Mideast Regionals.

She has performed well in outdoor track, but it’s on the basketball court where she makes her influence felt.

“For us, she’s a program changer,” Sallee said. “Our need for her was much, much greater. She recognized that.”

The women’s basketball team, which is built around Galligan, enjoyed a successful year. The 19 wins were the most since the 1987-88 team finished 2208 and advanced to the NCAA Tournament.

Moving outdoors for track

Eastern sophomore thrower Kandace Arnold said the throwers and the Eastern track teams get excited when Galligan joins the team for the outdoor season.

“She’s like a beast at basketball,” Arnold said. “When she comes here, she’s a beast as well.”

Galligan’s even on the top 10 list for the women’s track program too.

She won the javelin at the OVC Outdoor Championships last spring, and competed at the NCAA Mideast Regionals with a throw of 131 feet, 2 inches – a throw that is fourth all-time in Eastern history.

“I’m expecting big things from her because I already know she’s a competitor,” Arnold said. “It’s the competitiveness in her that makes (track) so much more fun.”

Galligan threw in her first meet following the Eastern women’s basketball season at the EIU Big Blue Classic on April 3-5 and won the javelin with a throw of 131’6″.

But Arnold can tell Galligan is a basketball player. She said Galligan gets everybody hyped up for a big throw.

“At a Division I level, it’s not a common thing (to participate in basketball and track),” Eastern head women’s track coach Mary Wallace said. “She just has the enthusiasm and passion for track.”

Elevation of game

The focus of the women’s basketball team has revolved around Galligan, and it has forced her into the spotlight. But that’s where she has shined and become a better basketball player.

“It’s been tremendous,” Michael said. “You can’t always predict how’s it’s going to work out.”

Sallee said he doesn’t take credit for Galligan’s improvement each season.

“If you can say anything, we’ve refined some skills,” Sallee said. “She’s got better athleticism than most people she plays against.”

Galligan’s scoring and presence in the league became apparent as Eastern developed its high-low offense this past season around its best player.

Sallee said Galligan understood the intricacies of the high-low offense. He said during her freshman year, she was a one-dimensional player who shot mostly turn-around jumpers.

“She faced up a little bit (during her sophomore year),” Sallee said. “In her second year, you saw a kid who knew how to get to the free-throw line.”

Galligan did most of her work this year even before she got the ball. Galligan would set picks and move her feet before she was double or triple teamed – something that was common once OVC play started.

“Once she got it, it was kind of game over,” Sallee said. “There weren’t a whole lot of people who could stop her once she got to where she wanted to get it.”

But Sallee said Galligan’s confidence level rose this year, and he said that’s something that’s going to help during her senior year. He said Galligan struggled with confidence and emotional levels at times.

“I don’t think she has to make that next step,” Sallee said. “I think she was good enough to be (OVC) Player of the Year this year.”

Galligan said her biggest transformation from her sophomore to her junior season was weight lifting. She said she lifted and was in the gym in Bloomington frequently during the summer.

Galligan said she was given a weight-lifting plan by Eastern’s coaching staff.

“I made sure that I followed it a T,” Galligan said. “I even did extra weights just cause I really wanted to build some strength and be able to feel more confident in (the post) when I’m getting (triple-teamed).”

A statistical leader

Galligan’s led the team in rebounding and blocked shots all three years she’s played. She is Eastern’s all-time leader in blocked shots, free throws made and joined the Panthers’ 1,000-point club this past year. Her 500 points during the 2008 season were the most since Pam O’Connor scored 504 points in 2002.

Galligan can achieve something special in her senior year as she sits just 498 points shy of becoming Eastern’s all-time leading scorer. She is currently in 11th place, but after seasons of 310 points, 499 points and 500 points her first three years, 498 is not out of the question.

But more than anything Galligan wants, along with the rest of her teammates, the chance to play in the NCAA Tournament.

She averaged 22 points and eight rebounds and had six blocked shots in three tournament games this year. She also set an OVC Tournament record by finishing 28-of-31 from the free-throw line, and she is the first Eastern player to earn OVC All-Tournament honors.

“She’s great a leader,” Eastern red-shirt sophomore guard Megan Edwards said. “Everyone knows when she goes in the game, she’s going to give it all she’s got. Next year, she’s going to be amazing.”

Galligan led the OVC in scoring, was second in field goal percentage, was fourth in blocks per game and finished fifth in free-throw percentage. Galligan finished the season 29th in the country in points per game, 25th in the country in field-goal percentage and 19th in the country in free-throw percentage.

Galligan also earned national recognition at the beginning of February with the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) National Player of the Month Honorable Mention honors.

Edwards said Galligan could promote Eastern athletics with just her name.

“She can’t go anywhere without someone probably recognizing her,” Edwards said. “It just comes with it. That puts our name out there. Everyone recognizes her as women’s basketball.”

Kevin Murphy can be reached at 581-7944 or at [email protected].