Southeast Missouri (6-5) vs. Southern Illinois (6-4)
Game Information
Date: Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2015
Tipoff: 12:00 p.m., CT
Location: Cape Girardeau, Mo.
Arena: Show Me Center
Series: Southeast trails 4-8
Head Coaches: Rekha Patterson (6-5, First Season); Cindy Stein (28-42, Third Season at SIU)
 
Media Information 
Radio: SEMO ESPN 1220 AM (Frankie Casteel, Jess Bolen) | Listen Live
Live Video: OVC Digital Network
Live Stats: GoSoutheast.com
Twitter Updates: @SEMOwbb
Game Notes: Southeast Missouri
 
River Boarder Rivalry
Southeast Missouri (6-5) plays host to regional rival Southern Illinois (6-4) Tuesday at the Show Me Center. The Redhawks and Salukis are slated to tip off at 12 p.m. 
 
$2 Tuesday
Tuesday's game will be $2 Tuesday at the Show Me Center. All fans can get into the game for only $2 while the concessions stands will be offering hot dogs, small sodas, and small orders of popcorn for only $2 each.
 
Follow the Redhawks
Tuesday's game will be broadcast live on SEMO ESPN 1220 AM. Frankie Casteel will provide play-by-play on the broadcast. Casteel will be joined by Jess Bolen who will provide analysis. Fans can download the SEMO ESPN app to listen to live broadcasts of Redhawks basketball all season long. Live stats can be accessed online at GoSoutheast.com. Live Twitter updates are available on the official Twitter page of the Redhawks, @SEMOwbb. The game will also be streamed for free on the OVC Digital Network.
 
Series History
This will only be the 13th meeting of women's basketball between these rival schools; SIU leads the series 8-4. The series dates back to 1975 but there was a hiatus in the 1990's and mid-to-late 2000's. This will be the fourth straight year the Redhawks and Salukis meet. SIU is 2-1 in the last three meetings with their one loss coming in Cape Girardeau. Southeast is 4-3 against the Salukis at home.
 
Let's Recap
Southeast Missouri came off a 3-3 road swing with a 63-54 loss to Central Arkansas to begin their five-game homestand. The Redhawks tried to mount a comeback in the fourth quarter but ultimately fell short in their efforts. Deja Jones led the way for the Redhawks with her second-straight double-double, putting up 13 points and a career-high 12 rebounds.
 
Johnson Earns OVC Freshman of the Week
Imani Johnson, a native of Lee's Summit, Missouri, was named adidas OVC Freshman of the Week on Dec. 15. Johnson averaged 14 points and seven rebounds per game for the Redhawks the week prior. The redshirt-freshman shot .458 (11-of-24) from the field and was a perfect 6-for-6 from the free-throw line. Johnson recorded back-to-back double-digit point games against Lipscomb and Central Arkansas. She narrowly missed a double-double at Lipscomb, putting up a career-best 18 points and nine rebounds. She finished the week with 10 points against Central Arkansas.
 
Looking at the Southern Illinois Salukis
Southern Illinois comes to Cape sporting a 6-4 record. The Salukis have played five Ohio Valley Conference teams this season and are 4-1 against said teams with their lone loss coming to UT Martin (70-63) on Nov. 25. SIU is 4-1 at home but are only 2-3 on the road this season. Most recently, SIU edged Mercer on the road Dec. 19, 55-52. Rishonda Napier leads the Salukis this season with 15.2 points a game and shoots .426 from the field with 28 made 3-pointers, shooting .452 from beyond the arc. Dyana Pierre has been equally impressive with 13.8 points per game and a .466 average. Pierre also grabs 11.9 boards a game.
 
Looking Ahead
The Redhawks will close out their non-conference schedule after the Christmas holiday on Dec. 30 against William Woods at 11 a.m. Southeast will have a quick turnaround as Belmont will come to Cape on New Years Eve to kick off OVC play.
 
You Can't Stop Her
Sophomore Deja Jones has been nearly unstoppable as of late. Jones had a breakout game against Lipscomb, recording her first career double-double with a career-high 19 points and 10 rebounds. She followed it up with her second-straight double-double with 13 points and a new career-best 12 rebounds against Central Arkansas. Her latest games have propelled her into a top-10 rebounder in the OVC and a top-five performer in field goal percentage.
 
Painting the Court Red
The Redhawks are averaging 30 points in the paint per game this season. On Dec. 8 at Lipscomb, Southeast tied a season-high 46 points in the paint against the Bisons. The Redhawks put up 46 in the paint at Alabama A&M on Nov. 18. The Redhawks have scored 30 or more points in the paint in six games. Southeast's opponents average 27.3 points in the paint.
 
Hot off the Bench
The Redhawks' bench has been big this season, putting up 25.9 points per game. The bench has scored nearly 40% of the team's points this season. Top bench performers include Hannah Noe who has come off the bench and drained a team-high 18 3-point buckets this season. Redshirt-freshman Imani Johnson has also come off the bench this season. Johnson is averaging eight points and 4.4 boards a game.
 
Rebounding is What We Do Best
The Redhawks are among the best rebounding teams in the nation. Southeast Missouri ranks 35th nationally in total rebounds with 485 this season, which is second-most in the Ohio Valley Conference. Southeast ranks 36th in rebounds per game, averaging 44.09 a game. Individually, Deja Jones leads the Redhawks with 81 boards this season followed closely by Erin Bollmann with 79.