It would be easy to judge the Eastern women’s basketball team’s success this season based on its effort at the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament.

But, while the loss to Austin Peay Saturday stung and will leave a sour taste on the players’ lips for a long time to come, fans should not remember this year’s team for that alone.

The Panthers entered the 2008-09 campaign with expectations unlike any other in program history. Coming off a surprise 19-13 season that ended with a conference tournament loss to Murray State, big things were expected, and the Panthers delivered.

The most obvious success was with senior forward Rachel Galligan. She delivered in each of her first three seasons at Eastern and her senior year was no different. She cemented her status as arguably the best women’s basketball player in Eastern history, leaving with the all-time scoring record, the single-season scoring record and a bevy of other accomplishments – both on and off the court – that will be remembered for a very long time.

“I don’t know that I can say anything about Rachel that hasn’t been said,” Eastern head coach Brady Sallee said. “You talk about a kid that has poured everything she has into a basketball program for four years. She was incredible.”

Likewise, the Panthers set several program records the team can take pride in. Their 24 wins are a program record in the Division I era, and they won 20 straight games in Lantz Arena, a record that also climbed as high as fourth in the nation at one point.

Development was also a key part of the season. While Eastern’s roster was senior-dominated, Sallee knew he had to look toward the future, and the development of freshman guard Pilar Walker and freshman forward Chantelle Pressley proved critical down the stretch.

Additionally, junior forward Maggie Kloak and junior guard Ashley Thomas proved their worth as backups ready to step into the starting lineup next season.

Collin Whitchurch can be reached at 581-7944 or [email protected].