Spring Break
Column: Possible tournament spot makes every game count
Dan Cusack / Staff Reporter
Issue date: 2/11/09 Section: Sports
The Eastern men's basketball team will be put out of its comfort zone in the next three weeks to close out the season.
Of the six regular season games remaining, five will be on the road, including four conference games.
The Panthers are 8-5 in the Ohio Valley Conference this season, which is currently good enough for fourth in the conference, but six of those wins came at home. On the road in OVC play, the Panthers are 2-3.
Eastern has not yet secured a spot in the OVC Tournament, but they are close. Only two teams in the conference do not play in the postseason tournament and Southeast Missouri State will be one as they sit with a 0-13 record. The final spot is more up in the air as three teams — Jacksonville State, Tennessee Tech and Tennessee State — are all tied with 5-9 league records.
The away games for the Panthers will not be easy by any stretch of the imagination. They will travel to play two of the top three conference teams in Austin Peay and Morehead State. The Panthers lost to Peay 81-73 on Dec. 6 and beat Morehead State 67-61 on Jan. 17.
The top four teams in the OVC receive first-round byes for the conference tournaments. While the Panthers' main goal should be to get in, which they probably will, it would be beneficial to get a first-round home game.
Aside for the obvious reasons of home court advantage and comfort level, the Panthers have been tough to beat at home.
The teams' largest home conference loss was only eight points, while losses on the road have been by as many as 14.
In a conference where fourth place and sixth place is a matter of one game, every game remaining for the Panthers carries more importance.
One of the key games for the Panthers will be a match-up on Saturday when they travel to Richmond, Ky., to take on Eastern Kentucky. This game could be the one to decide who will finish fourth in the conference and get the first round home game.
A couple of wins out of town and a home tournament game could be the beginning of a lengthy conference tournament run for the Panthers.
Dan Cusack can be reached at 581-7944 or at dscusack@eiu.edu.
Of the six regular season games remaining, five will be on the road, including four conference games.
The Panthers are 8-5 in the Ohio Valley Conference this season, which is currently good enough for fourth in the conference, but six of those wins came at home. On the road in OVC play, the Panthers are 2-3.
Eastern has not yet secured a spot in the OVC Tournament, but they are close. Only two teams in the conference do not play in the postseason tournament and Southeast Missouri State will be one as they sit with a 0-13 record. The final spot is more up in the air as three teams — Jacksonville State, Tennessee Tech and Tennessee State — are all tied with 5-9 league records.
The away games for the Panthers will not be easy by any stretch of the imagination. They will travel to play two of the top three conference teams in Austin Peay and Morehead State. The Panthers lost to Peay 81-73 on Dec. 6 and beat Morehead State 67-61 on Jan. 17.
The top four teams in the OVC receive first-round byes for the conference tournaments. While the Panthers' main goal should be to get in, which they probably will, it would be beneficial to get a first-round home game.
Aside for the obvious reasons of home court advantage and comfort level, the Panthers have been tough to beat at home.
The teams' largest home conference loss was only eight points, while losses on the road have been by as many as 14.
In a conference where fourth place and sixth place is a matter of one game, every game remaining for the Panthers carries more importance.
One of the key games for the Panthers will be a match-up on Saturday when they travel to Richmond, Ky., to take on Eastern Kentucky. This game could be the one to decide who will finish fourth in the conference and get the first round home game.
A couple of wins out of town and a home tournament game could be the beginning of a lengthy conference tournament run for the Panthers.
Dan Cusack can be reached at 581-7944 or at dscusack@eiu.edu.
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