MACOMB, Ill. (Interstat) — A stark contrast in fortunes will be on display Tuesday night when the surging Western Illinois Leathernecks host the struggling Eastern Illinois Panthers in a women’s Ohio Valley Conference basketball matchup at Western Hall. Western Illinois (19-4 overall) enters as one of the conference’s top teams, while Eastern Illinois (4-21) seeks to salvage a difficult season. The Leathernecks boast a potent offense, averaging over 70 points per game, largely fueled by standout guard Mia Nicastro. Nicastro torched the Panthers for 33 points in a 74-61 road victory on Jan. 13 and is coming off another 33-point performance in a loss to Tennessee State on Saturday. For the season, she has scored 20 or more points in 14 games. The Panthers, mired in a 2-8 stretch over their last 10 games, will lean on guard Tiny Lewis. Lewis scored 12 points in the first meeting with Western Illinois and is coming off a 17-point, 5-rebound effort in an overtime loss at Tennessee Tech. Eastern Illinois has shown brief resilience, snapping a five-game skid with a win at Tennessee State on Feb. 5, but consistency has been elusive. Western Illinois’s defense, which allows just 60.2 points per game, will look to contain Lewis and force others to score. The Panthers average a conference-low 56.7 points per game and were held to 46 points in a loss to Tennessee-Martin on Jan. 29. The Leathernecks have dominated the recent series, winning the last four meetings. With a home record of 10-1 this season, Western Illinois is a heavy favorite to continue that trend. Eastern Illinois, 1-11 on the road, faces a daunting task to pull an upset. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. CST Tuesday. Western Illinois will host Arkansas-Little Rock on Thursday, while Eastern Illinois returns home to face the same opponent on Saturday.