Complete Southeast Game Notes (PDF) | "Like" Southeast on Facebook | Follow @GoSoutheast on Twitter

Southeast Missouri (4-15, 1-5 OVC) at Tennessee Tech (6-13, 2-3 OVC)

Game Information
Date: Saturday, January 21, 2012
Tip-Off: 5:30 p.m., CT
Location: Cookeville, Tenn.
Site: Eblen Center (9,280)
Series Record: Tennessee Tech leads 26-14 (Southeast went 0-2 vs. TTU in 2010-11)
Coaches: Ty Margenthaler (4-15 overall, 4-15 at Southeast); Sytia Messer (43-37 overall, 43-37 at Tennessee Tech)

Media Coverage
Redhawks Radio Network: Newsradio 960/1400 AM (KZIM/KSIM); 930 AM (KWOC); 1470 AM (KMAL). Erik Sean, Play-by-Play.
Live Stats: TTUSports.com
Video Streaming: OVCSports.tv

Quick Hits
About Tennessee Tech – The Golden Eagles were tabbed the preseason Ohio Valley Conference favorites after winning the regular season league title a year ago. However, TTU has found repeating to be a difficult task so far as it sports a 6-13 overall record and is off to a 2-3 start in OVC play. However, the Golden Eagles are 2-0 at home in league play. Tennessee Tech ranks fifth in the OVC in scoring defense (67.3 points per game) and is eighth in scoring offense (62.7 points per game). In league play, the Golden Eagles are sixth in both scoring offense (67.0 points per game) and defense (68.4 points per game). Against OVC teams, TTU is shooting 42.6 percent (third in the league) and holding opponents to 37.0 percent (third).  Tacarra Hayes is the catalyst of the team, leading Tech 17.7 points per game (fourth in the OVC) and 3.6 assists per game (sixth) while also grabbing 5.7 rebounds per game. Jala Harris balances the attack with 15.6 points per game, an average that has jumped to 18.6 points per game in league play (fifth best in the OVC).

Last Season (Tennessee Tech 62, Southeast 48 – Dec. 21, 2010 in Cookeville, Tenn.; Tennessee Tech 69, Southeast 59 – Jan. 29, 2011 in Cape Girardeau, Mo.) – The Golden Eagles extended their winning streak in the series to three games for the first time since taking four-straight from 2004-07. In the first meeting, Katie Norman scored a game-high 17 points and the Redhawks pulled within two points early in the second half. TTU put the game away with a 12-0 run over the next 10 minutes to earn the 14-point win. Southeast held a 20-19 lead late in the first half of its second meeting with Tech, but the Golden Eagles rallied back and grabbed a 10 point lead less than five minutes into the second half. The Redhawks never got any closer than nine points the rest of the way. Norman once again paced Southeast with 14 points.

Harriel Heats Up – Junior forward Brittany Harriel has been an offensive catalyst as of late. The Cincinnati, Ohio native has recorded five double-doubles in her past seven games. This coming after notching only two double-doubles in her first two seasons. Harriel willed the Redhawks to a tight, 56-52, win over Longwood on Dec. 20 with 18 points while tying a career-high with 13 rebounds. She scored nine of Southeast's last 10 points and went 8-for-9 from the charity stripe to help secure the victory. Two games later, Harriel began a streak of three-straight double-doubles. She poured in a career-high 26 points to go with 12 rebounds as the Redhawks nearly erased an 11-point deficit in the second half against Murray State on New Year's Eve. In Southeast's win over Jacksonville State on Jan. 2, the junior scored 12 points and corralled a team-high 11 rebounds. She made it three straight with 11 points and 11 rebounds at Eastern Kentucky on Jan. 7 and tallied 13 points and 10 rebounds in Monday's contest against SIU Edwardsville.

Consistent Roberts – Since day one, no Redhawk has provided more offensive consistency than junior Bailie Roberts. The Maryville, Tenn., native leads the team with 11 games of 10 or more points, leading to her team-best 9.4 points per game scoring average. She also ranks second on the team with 5.7 rebounds per game. Roberts has also been strong in league play, scoring in double figures in four of six OVC games.

Need the D – Southeast has been inconsistent defensively since the tail end of its non-conference schedule. In the first nine games of the season, Southeast led the OVC in scoring defense at 59.7 points per game and did not allow any opponent to score 70 points. In the next six, the Redhawks allowed 72.3 points per game while allowing 70 or more points three times. Southeast has picked it up in the past four games, allowing fewer than 60 points three times and yielding 57.8 points per game in that stretch.

Offensive Slump –  After a promising start to conference play, the Redhawks have fallen victim to a prolonged offensive slump. Southeast averaged 66.0 points per game and shot 42.1 percent from the field in its first three league games while both Bailie Roberts and Brittany Harriel tied for the team scoring lead with 13.3 points per game. Its lowest point total in that span was 57 points. The Redhawks have hit a collective funk in the three games since, averaging 42.0 points while shooting only 26.0 percent from the field and making only 4-of-50 (8.0 percent) three-pointers. No player is averaging double-digit points while only Courtney Shiffer (41.7 percent) is making better than 37 percent of her shots in this span.

Streak Breaker? – Southeast is looking to make up some ground in the league standings down the stretch and it will have to do so on the road. Seven of the Redhawks' last 10 games are on the road, where they are 0-8 this season. Southeast is looking to snap a 12-game road losing streak that dates back to a 64-57 win at Eastern Kentucky on Feb. 10, 2011.