The Eastern men’s basketball team has had a rollercoaster start in the Ohio Valley Conference.

The Panthers have had two overtime victories, as well as a season high of 97 points scored against Eastern Kentucky.

Eastern stands at 4-4 in OVC play so far, which is good for 2nd place in the OVC West.

The Panthers have come away with some key victories this season, especially in games where they were seen as the underdog.

After starting 1-3 against conference opponents to begin the season, Eastern has since rebounded to win three of its last four games.

However, Eastern’s 4-4 record in conference play may not tell the whole story.

Three of Eastern’s conference losses have come to the teams in the OVC East.

One of these losses was to undefeated Belmont, while the other two are to one-loss teams.

The East has proven to be the better half of the conference this season, with a combined two losses among the top three teams in the division.

With that being said, the Panthers have also impressed by coming away with wins against Eastern Kentucky and Morehead State, both of which are in the East.

The Panthers have had two games end in thrilling fashion with overtime wins over Morehead State and Austin Peay.

In both of those games, Eastern was able to put up at least 80 points.

All four of the Panther’s OVC wins have come when the team scores at least 75 points.

The team has seen bright performances from a number of players so far this season, as a different player steps up every night.

While the Panthers have gotten production from different players, it has been a rotation of certain players who have carried the team.

Eastern has been led by senior Trae Anderson, junior Demetrius McReynolds, junior A.J. Riley, and sophomore Cornell Johnston.

While Trae Anderson has led the team in scoring all season long, McReynolds and Riley have stepped up of late with big performances.

McReynolds’ 27 points against Eastern Kentucky played a major role in the team scoring 97 points and coming out on top.

Riley has scored double digit points in five straight games now, and also sank the game winning layup against Austin Peay.

Riley’s buzzer beating layup helped the Panthers get their second road win of the season, as well as the first in OVC play.

Road games have been an issue for the Panthers, as they hold just a 2-8 record on the season when playing away from Lantz Arena.

Eastern just wrapped up a two game home stand against Murray State and Austin Peay, and will come home to welcome UT-Martin into Lantz Arena.

The matchup against UT-Martin provides plenty of intrigue as the teams will battle for position in the OVC West.

Although the Panthers are a game and a half ahead of the Skyhawks, it will be important to maintain position in a stacked conference.

The Panthers continue to push for a spot in the OVC tournament, as only the top eight seeds will participate.

If the season ended today, Eastern would be the 7th seed in the tournament.

The Panthers return to action on Thursday night against UT-Martin at 7 p.m. in Lantz Arena.

Maher Kawash can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].