Southeast Missouri at Mississippi State
Game Information
Date: Tuesday, November 6, 2018
Tip-off: 7 p.m., CT
Location: Starkville, Miss.
Arena: Humphrey Coliseum
Series: SEMO trails, 1-0
Last Meeting: SEMO 44, Mississippi State 77 (Dec. 11, 1982 / Starkville, Miss.)
Head Coaches: Rekha Patterson (42-49, Fourth Season). Vic Schaefer (161-53, Seventh Season).
Media Information
TV: SEC+
Radio: SEMO ESPN 1220 AM (Erik Sean)
Live Stats: HailState.com
Twitter: @SEMOWBB
Tipping Off
The Southeast Missouri women's basketball team will open its 2018-19 season on Tuesday against the national runner-up Mississippi State Bulldogs. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m., CT, at Humphrey Coliseum.
Follow the Redhawks
Fans can listen to Tuesday's game live on the radio on SEMO ESPN 1220 AM. The broadcast can also be streamed live at SEMOESPN.com and on the SEMO ESPN app. Live stats are available at HailState.com. Twitter updates will be available at @SEMOWBB.
Series History
Tuesday's game marks the second all-time meeting between Southeast Missouri and Mississippi State. SEMO and MSU face each other for the first time since 1982. The Bulldogs won that game, 77-44, on Dec. 11 in Starkville.
How We Got Here
Southeast Missouri went undefeated in exhibition play with wins over Rockhurst and Lindenwood-Belleville. The Redhawks beat Rockhurst, 78-51, and Lindenwood-Belleville, 82-50. Tesia Thompson recorded 41 points in the two games, 26 against Rockhurst.
Against the SEC
Southeast Missouri is 1-22 all-time against the Southeastern Conference. The Redhawks only victory was against Missouri on Nov. 24, 1998 in Cape Girardeau. The Redhawks won by a score of 90-71.
Thompson Named Preseason All-OVC Team
Sophomore guard Tesia Thompson was named Preseason All-Ohio Valley Conference Team prior to the start of the 2018-19 season. In her rookie campaign, Thompson recorded 398 points, 51 steals and 164 rebounds. The Memphis, Tennessee native shot a team-high 118-of-163 (.724) at the free throw line. She averaged 12.8 points and 27.2 minutes per game.
Scouting the Bulldogs
The Bulldogs finished the 2017-18 season with a 37-2 record and perfect 18-0 record at home. MSU has made the NCAA Tournament each of the last four years and lost to Notre Dame in the national championship game last season. Mississippi State ended the season ranked second in the Coaches Poll and fourth in the AP Poll. The Bulldogs are ranked sixth in the AP Preseason polls entering 2018-19. This is the highest preseason ranking in the Bulldogs program history. MSU returns seven letterwinners and one starter. The lone returning starter is Teaira McCowan. McCowan is a center who recorded 18.2 points and 13.9 rebounds per game last season. The Brenham, Texas native was named 2018 Naismith National Defensive Player of the Year, 2018 First-Team All-SEC and 2018 SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Year. The Bulldogs bring in two transfers from top-tier programs in Promise Taylor (Mississippi) and Andra Espinoza-Hunter (UConn). MSU lost four starters, including Victoria Vivians who averaged 19.8 points per game. Vivians was a senior last season who finished the year with 773 points and 238 rebounds in over 1200 minutes of play.
Murphy's Splash
Senior Adrianna Murphy has been making a splash in the record books for Southeast Missouri. Murphy is currently ranked second in program history in assists (486) and third in steals (212). Sherry Mitchell (1987-1991) currently holds the records for assists (639) and steals (335).
OVC Preseason Poll
Southeast Missouri women's basketball was picked to finish fifth in this year's Ohio Valley Conference Preseason Poll, garnering 154 total points. Belmont picked up 20 of the 24 first-place votes en route to a second-straight preseason favorite. Belmont guard Darby Maggard was named the OVC Preseason Player of the Year. The 2018-19 season will be the fourth under head coach Rekha Patterson. Under Patterson's leadership, the Redhawks finished the 2017-18 season with an overall record of 14-17 and 9-9 mark in conference play.
