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Game Notes: Southeast Missouri | Western Kentucky
 

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – The Southeast Missouri women's basketball team hosts Western Kentucky Tuesday night at 6:30 as the Redhawks close out a three-game homestand. The contest can be seen for free via the OVC Digital Network.
 
About Western Kentucky
The Lady Toppers are 2-1 on the young season having defeated fellow Ohio Valley Conference schools Austin Peay (78-75) and Murray State (86-63). The only loss came at Vanderbilt, an 85-60 setback. WKU was chosen to finish second by the Sun Belt coaches.
 
WKU sports the Sunbelt Preseason Player of the Year in Alexis Govan. She currently is tied for the team lead with 15 points per game. She also snags 4.3 rebounds per contest.
 
Joining Govan at 15 points a game is Bianca McGee and Chastity Gooch. Gooch averages a double-double with 10.7 rebounds per game.
 
Last Meeting
Meeting last December, WKU prevailed with a 60-46 win. Kara Wright was the leading scorer for Southeast with 15 points while snagging eight rebounds.
 
Quick Hits

What a win will do
With a win against WKU, Southeast will be off to its best start under Ty Margenthaler at 3-1.
 
That's a first
In Thursday's 76-74 victory over Kansas City, it was the first time a Ty Margenthaler team won after giving up 70 or more points. Previously the Redhawks were 0-15.
 
Law of....76?
In both of Southeast's victories to start the season, the winning total has been 76 points. Southeast currently ranks fourth in the OVC, averaging 73.3 points per game.
 
Bench Warmers?
The Southeast Missouri bench provides a supreme boost once the enter the game. Through the first three games, the Southeast bench has outscored the opponents bench 37-10, 21-10 and 29-11 in game chronological order, respectively. Olivia Hackman has been the main threat averaging 10.7 points per game.
 
A Thing for Boards
The Redhawks have the largest rebounding margin in the OVC currently with +6.3. Southeast is averaging 46.3 rebounds a games while their opponents snag just 40.0.
 
The Redhawks have the top returning rebounder in the league in senior Patricia Mack. The Columbus, Ohio native ranked fourth in the OVC by averaging a career-high 9.3 rebounds per game (fourth in the OVC), grabbing 10 or more boards 14 times a year ago after doing so seven total times prior to last season. Mack's 270 rebounds last season were the seventh most in school history and the third-highest figure since the program moved to Division I prior to the 1991-92 season.
 
Take a Freebie
Allyson Bradshaw is just one of two OVC athletes to be perfect from the free throw line. Bradshaw is 7-for-7. Belmont's Jordyn Luffman is a perfect 11-for-11 from the charity stripe.
 
Stout Defense
Southeast ranks second, behind Murray State, with the toughest defense to score against. Opponents are shooting just .373 against the Redhawks in the early portion of the season.
 
Preseason Accolades
After averaging 10.6 points in conference play (8.5 overall) as a freshman, Kara Wright was voted onto the preseason All-Ohio Valley Conference team by the league's coaches and sports information directors. The Louisville, Ky., native is the lone underclassman on the preseason all-conference team. She earned a spot on the OVC All-Newcomer team, the first Redhawks to earn postseason All-OVC honors since the 2008-09 season.
 
Preseason Polling
The poll tabbed Southeast to finish fifth in the OVC West Division. The Redhawks garnered 61 voting points.
 
Three-time defending OVC Tournament Champion UT Martin is the preseason favorite once again with 22 first-place votes and 132 voting points. SIU Edwardsville (103 points; two first-place votes), Eastern Illinois (85 points), Murray State (68 points), Southeast and Austin Peay (42 points) round out the predicted order of finish in the OVC West.
 
On the other side, Tennessee Tech grabbed 12 first-place votes and 119 voting points to lay claim as the preseason OVC East favorite. Belmont earned nine first-place votes and 115 points to check in at second. Eastern Kentucky (95 points; three first-place votes), Morehead State (66 points), Tennessee State (65 points) and Jacksonville State (32 points) make up the rest of the East poll.
 
International Flavor
Southeast returns senior point guard Jordan Hunter, who had a strong debut season after transferring from Crowder Community College. Hunter scored 263 points (second on the team) while starting all 29 games. She scored in double figures 13 times, the most among returning players, and finished the season with 115 assists (seventh in the OVC). Her assist total was the most at Southeast since Sarah Costello dished out 144 dimes in the 2003-04 season.
 
New Faces
Southeast boasts eight newcomers on this year's roster, seven of whom are eligible
to contribute immediately. Guards Brianna Mitchell, Ashton Luttrull and Jade Holly join forwards Bailey Geiman and Brittany Harris as the five freshmen on the roster. Southeast also tapped into the junior college ranks to bolster its front court, adding posts Hillary Lively and Kenyada Brown from Danville Area Community College and Moberly Area Community College, respectively. While those seven will be able to play right away, perhaps the biggest gem is the transfer of guard Jasmine Robinson from Alabama. Robinson will sit out the 2013-14 season, but has one more year of eligibility after lettering three times with the Crimson Tide, including averaging a team-high 11.4 points per game as a sophomore in the 2011-12 campaign.
 
2012-13 at a Glance
Southeast is coming off an 11-18 2012-13 season, its most wins since the 2008-09 season. The Redhawks went 5-11 in OVC play, also their most wins since 2008-09. Southeast has seven returning letterwinners, including three starters, from last season's squad. In addition to Kara Wright, the Redhawks welcome back seniors Jordan Hunter and Patricia Mack. Hunter is Southeast's top returning scorer and averaged 9.1 points per game in her first season as the Redhawks' point guard. Mack is the top returning rebounder in the OVC. She finished fourth in the league with 9.3 rebounds per game in 2012-13. Her 270 total rebounds were the seventh most in school history and the third highest figure since the Redhawks went to Division I.