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Southeast Missouri (4-12, 1-2 OVC) at Eastern Kentucky (6-7, 2-1 OVC)

Game Information
Date: Saturday, January 7, 2012
Tip-Off: 3:00 p.m., CT
Location: Richmond, Ky.
Site: McBrayer Arena (6,500)
Series Record: Eastern Kentucky leads 26-13 (Southeast went 2-0 vs. EKU in 2010-11)
Coaches: Ty Margenthaler (4-12 overall, 4-12 at Southeast); Chrissy Roberts (31-65 overall, 31-65 at Eastern Kentucky)

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

Quick Hits
About Eastern Kentucky – The Colonels won their first two OVC games of the year, beating Jacksonville State (80-76 in overtime) on the road and Tennessee State (79-59) at home before falling to Austin Peay (66-63) at home on Monday night. EKU is 6-7 overall and ranks third in the league in scoring defense (62.9 points per game allowed). Eastern Kentucky also checks in at fifth in the league in scoring (65.8 points per game). The Colonels are shooting 33.5 percent from three-point range (third in the OVC) and lead the conference in three-point defense (24.5 percent). In league play, the Colonels are second in field goal percentage (45.9 percent) and fourth in scoring (74.0 points per game). EKU is paced offensively by Marie Carpenter, who is averaging 14.3 points per game and leads the OVC by shooting 44.7 percent from three-point range. Jade Barber also averages double figures at 10.5 points per game while shooting a team-best 59.2 percent from the floor and grabbing 7.3 rebounds per game.

Last Season (Southeast 74, Eastern Kentucky 58 – Jan. 15, 2011 in Cape Girardeau, Mo.; Southeast 64, Eastern Kentucky 57 – Feb. 10, 2011 in Rickmond, Ky.) – The Redhawks scored half of their OVC wins a year ago against the Colonels. Southeast opened the first meeting on a 13-3 run and never looked back en route to its most decisive league win of the year at the Show Me Center. The Redhawks claimed a 10-point halftime lead in the second meeting and held on for a seven point victory for their final victory of the 2010-11 campaign. Brittany Harriel was a big factor in both meetings, recording a 10 point, 12 rebound double-double in the first contest and tallying a then-career-high 23 points and six rebounds at EKU.

Harriel Heats Up – Junior forward Brittany Harriel has been an offensive catalyst as of late. The Cincinnati, Ohio native has recorded three double-doubles in her past four 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 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. During this span, Harriel is averaging 14.5 points and 11.3 rebounds while shooting 47.8 percent from the field.

Double Trouble – Southeast has gotten big nights out of several sources this season. Perhaps no trend underscores this fact more than that four different Redhawks have recorded double-doubles this season, including two returners posting their first career double-doubles. Senior guard Bianca Beck began this when she scored 13 points and grabbed a career-high 10 rebounds at Illinois-Chicago on Nov. 15 for the first double-double of her career. Junior center Courtney Shiffer also had her first such performance with 13 points and a career-high 17 rebounds against Lindenwood on Dec. 3. In the last four games, junior forward Brittany Harriel notched three double-doubles while sophomore forward Patricia Mack posted the third double-double of her career. Harriel's double-doubles came against Longwood (Dec. 20 – 18 points, 13 rebounds), Murray State (Dec. 31 –26 points, 12 rebounds) and Jacksonville State (Jan. 2 – 12 points, 11 rebounds)  while Mack poured in a career-high 15 points and hauled in 11 rebounds in the conference opener against Morehead State on Dec. 28.

Offense Coming Around – The Redhawks' offense has been putting it together as of late. After averaging only 46.8 points per game and scoring under 50 points five times in the first 10 games, the Redhawks are averaging 61.0 points per game over their last six contests. Southeast has also been more efficient shooting the ball lately, shooting over 40 percent from the field in three straight games after not cracking that mark once in the first 13 games of the year.

Welcome Back – One of the main trouble spots for the Redhawks last year was a lack of depth in the post. That situation appears to be rectified thanks to the healthy return of Patricia Mack. Through 16 games, Mack is averaging 5.3 rebounds per game in only 15.3 minutes per contest, the best per minute rebound ratio on the team. She posted her first double-double since Feb. 2, 2010 against SIU Edwardsville when she tallied a career-high 15 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in Southeast's conference opener against Morehead State on Dec. 28. That outburst is an exclamation point on the sophomore's strong play of late. Since scoring only two total points and averaging 3.6 rebounds in the first five games of the season, Mack is averaging 4.4 points and 6.0 rebounds per game while shooting 61.5 percent from the field. Mack got injured in the second game of the 2010-11 season, cutting her sophomore season short after a promising freshman campaign in 2009-10 where she averaged 5.4 rebounds per contest and posted two double-doubles.

Streak Breaker? – Southeast returns to the arena where it recorded its last true road victory when it tips off against Eastern Kentucky at McBrayer Arena on Saturday. The Redhawks went winless on the road (0-7) during their challenging non-conference slate and have dropped 11 consecutive road contests since defeating the Colonels, 64-57, on Feb. 10, 2010.

Bringing Back the D – Southeast cleaned things up defensively in its latest victory over Jacksonville State on Monday night. The Redhawks held the Gamecocks to 29.7 percent shooting from the floor and 1-for-17 from three-point range to in allowing 48 points, marking their best defensive performance of the season. This was a welcome sign after the unit struggled in the recent games prior, allowing an average of 72.3 points per game in the previous six games. In the first nine games of the season, Southeast led the OVC in scoring defense at 59.7 points per game.