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EASTERN ILLINOIS at Texas Tech
March 15 • 7 p.m.
United Spirit Arena (15,000) • Lubbock, Texas
Radio: Hit Mix 88.9 FM • Ryan Piers, radio play-by-play

GAME 31
The Panther women's basketball team travels to Texas Tech on Thursday, March 15 for the first round of the Women's National Invitational Tournament at 7 p.m. EIU is 22-8 on the year while TTU is 19-13.
 
PANTHERS IN POSTSEASON ACTION
The Panthers are 0-3 all-time in postseason tournaments. Thursday's contest will mark the second time in three years EIU has participated in the WNIT while also being the third consecutive year the Panthers have participated in a postseason tournament. EIU played in the Women's Basketball Invitational in 2011.
 
    Postseason Tournament History
    1988 NCAA Tournament: L, 78-72 vs Colorado
    2010 WNIT: L, 85-56 at Marquette
    2011 WBI: L, 73-64 vs Chicago State
 
EIU-TTU SERIES HISTORY
Thursday's contest against the Lady Raiders in the WNIT will mark the first meeting between the two schools. EIU owns a 2-13 all-time record against members of the Big 12 Conference. The Panthers last win over a Big 12 foe came against Missouri on Nov. 14, 2010 when EIU defeated the Tigers 81-73 in Charleston.
 
EIU-TTU FAMILIAR FOES
Both EIU and TTU have one common opponent from the 2011-12 season as both squads have played Missouri. The Panthers lost to the Tigers, 56-54, on Dec. 7 while the Lady Raiders posted a 2-0 record against the Tigers during Big 12 play.
 
NIXON AMONG NATION'S BEST IN FIELD-GOAL PERCENTAGE
Junior guard Ta'Kenya Nixon leads the OVC in field-goal percentage as she is connecting on 52.8 percent of her shot attempts. The percentage ranks as the 18^th highest percentage in the nation while ranking first among players listed as a guard.
 
KING CLOSING IN ON 1,000 CAREER POINTS
Junior Mariah King is closing in on her 1,000th career point in a Panther uniform as she currently has 979 points. She would become the second member of the junior class to hit the career milestone as teammate Ta'Kenya Nixon became the 20th member of the 1,000-point club earlier this season.
 
SALLEE, PANTHERS CAPTURE ANOTHER 20 WIN SEASON
With the win over EKU on Feb. 6, the Panthers captured their third 20-win season in the last four years under head coach Brady Sallee. EIU had only two 20 win seasons since 1982 before the arrival of Sallee in 2004.

NIXON NAMED OVC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Junior Ta'Kenya Nixon was named the Ohio Valley Conference's Defensive Player of the Year for the second time in her career on Tuesday, Feb. 28 as voted on by conference head coaches and sports information directors. She also won the award as a freshman during the 2009-10 season.
 
Nixon currently leads the conference in steals, averaging 2.6 steals per game. She also averages 5.6 rebounds per game for the Panthers. Nixon is the OVC's active career leader in steals as she has recorded 199 steals.
 
KING, NIXON NAMED TO ALL-OVC TEAMS
Juniors Ta'Kenya Nixon and Mariah King both earned all-conference honors as Nixon was tabbed to the first team while King earned second team honors, respectively. Nixon has been named to the first team on three occasions while King picks up second team accolades for the second consecutive year.
 
Nixon ranks sixth in the conference in scoring with 16 points per game to go along with 4.5 assists per game, the second highest average in the OVC. The Michigan City, Ind., native also leads the OVC in field-goal percentage as she has hit 52.8 percent of her shot attempts.
 
King averages 12.7 points per game and a team-high 7.2 rebounds per game. The forward also has 19 blocks on the year while ranking third in the OVC in field-goal percentage, connecting on 45.2 percent of her shot attempts.
 
Under the direction of head coach Brady Sallee, the Panthers have seen 17 all-conference selections since the 2004-05 season.
  
EIU ONE LINERS
• Senior Chantelle Pressley has been apart of 87 wins throughout her Panther career, the most by any women's basketball player during the Division I era. The forward still has a chance to tie/pass the graduating 1983 class (played three years at Division II level and one at the Division I level) that won 89 contests. 
 
• The Panthers own a +8.1 rebounding margin, the 15^th highest margin in the nation. EIU has only been out rebounded six times this season. Two players in Mariah King and Chantelle Pressley rank in the OVC's top-10 for rebounds as King averages 7.2 rpg (8^th) and Pressley averages 6.9 (9^th).
 
•  Three Panthers are scoring in double figures, led by Ta'Kenya Nixon's 16.0 points per game. Mariah King adds 12.7 ppg while Sydney Mitchell averages 11.2 ppg.
 
•  The Panthers rank second in the OVC in scoring offense and field-goal percentage, only behind UT Martin who leads the nation in scoring. Four players are shooting over 40 percent from the floor as EIU is connecting on 42.5 percent of its shot attempts as a team.
 
• Two players rank in the OVC's top-10 for free-throw percentage as Ta'Kenya Nixon ranks third (.843) and Jordyne Crunk ranks eighth (.792). In the Panthers last eight games, Nixon has hit 94 percent of her free throws, going 58-for-62.
 
• The Panthers have one of the best defenses in the conference, leading the OVC in scoring defense (60.6), field-goal percentage defense (.370) and rebounding margin (+8.1). EIU also ranks second in blocks (3.5 bpg).
 
•  Ta'Kenya Nixon has scored over 20 points in a game 20 times in her career, including two 30-point performances both coming this season. The junior guard also has posted 11 double-doubles in her career. Classmate Mariah King has five career double-doubles, all coming this season.
 
NIXON TIES SCHOOL RECORD FOR SINGLE GAME FREE THROWS MADE
On Feb. 25 at Eastern Kentucky, Ta'Kenya Nixon went 15-for-16 from the foul line. Her 15 made free throws ties the school record for single game free throws made. The last time an EIU player made 15 free throws was when former player and current assistant coach Rachel Galligan did it against Murray State on March 8, 2008.
 
PRESSLEY ONE OF THE BEST OVC DEFENDERS
Senior Chantelle Pressley is the only player in the OVC to be ranked in the top-10 of all three major defensive categories – blocks, rebounds and steals. The Lexington, Ky., native ranks sixth in blocks, ninth in rebounds and 10th in steals.
 
NIXON IN THE SINGLE SEASON RECORD BOOK
Junior Ta'Kenya Nixon is currently tied for sixth in single-season steals at EIU with 78 steals and tied for eighth in single-season free throws made with 129. The guard also only needs eight assists to move into the single-season assists chart.
 
KING, PRESSLEY MOVING INTO SINGLE SEASON CHARTS
Both Mariah King and Chantelle Pressley are close to moving into the top-10 single season record book. King needs four more rebounds to move into the single-season rebounds chart while Pressley needs one more block to move into the single-season blocks chart.
 
WYSS IN THE CAREER CHARTS
Junior guard Kelsey Wyss currently has 120 made three pointers throughout her career, the seventh highest total in school history. The Hoagland, Ind., native only needs six more to pass Megan Edwards (2006-09) and move into sixth.
 
NXION IN THE CAREER CHARTS
Ta'Kenya Nixon has made 426 free throws in her career, the second most in school history. The Michigan City, Ind., native needs 98 more made free throws to pass Rachel Galligan (2006-09) and become the school's all-time leader.
 
Nixon also has dished out 448 assists in her career so far, the third most in school history. She ranks sixth in career steals with 199.
 
PRESSLEY IN THE CAREER CHARTS
Senior forward Chantelle Pressley has 93 career blocks, the sixth most in school history. The Lexington, Ky., native needs seven  more blocks to move into fifth all-time in career blocks and tie Missy Beck who had 100 blocked shots from 1993-96.