Southeast Missouri (16-5, 8-2 OVC) vs Jacksonville State (10-11, 6-4 OVC)

Game Information
Date: Thursday, February 6, 2020
Tip-off: 5:15 p.m., CT
Location: Cape Girardeau, Mo.
Arena: Show Me Center 
Series: SEMO leads, 14-7
Last Meeting: JSU 56, SEMO 39 | Feb. 9, 2019 | Cape Girardeau, Mo.
Head Coaches: Rekha Patterson (71-70, Fifth Season). Rick Pietri (320-266, 19th Season).
 
Media Information
Video: ESPN+
Radio: SEMO ESPN 1220 AM (Erik Sean)
Live Stats: GoSoutheast.com
Twitter: @OffiicialSEMOWBB

Tipping Off 
The Southeast Missouri women's basketball team begins a four-game home stand against Jacksonville State Thursday. Start time is set for 5:15 p.m., CT, at the Show Me Center.

Follow the Redhawks 
Fans can listen to Thursday's game live on the radio at SEMOESPN 1220 AM with Erik Sean calling the action alongside Jess Bolen. The broadcast will also be streamed at SEMOESPN.com and on the SEMOESPN app. Video can be accessed at ESPN+. Live stats are available at GoSoutheast.com. Twitter updates will be available at @OfficialSEMOWBB. 

Series History 
Southeast Missouri leads its all-time series against Jacksonville State, 14-7. SEMO holds an 8-2 advantage over JSU at the Show Me Center. Last season the Redhawks fell to the Gamecocks, 56-39, at home on February 9. SEMO will face JSU twice this season with one game at home and the other in Jacksonville, Alabama. The last time the two teams met up twice in the regular season was in 2012 and the Redhawks swept the Gamecocks on those occasions. 

Scouting the Gamecocks
The Gamecocks are 10-11 this season with a 6-4 mark in conference play. Jacksonville State is coming off of a two-game winning streak after defeating Tennessee State (70-48) and Belmont (60-41) this past weekend. The Gamecocks also swept Eastern Kentucky, while being swept by Morehead State in the same weekend. JSU also recorded OVC wins over Murray State (Jan. 9) and SIUE (Jan. 18). As a team, JSU averages 60.8 points, 39.9 rebounds and 7.1 three-pointers per game. Taylor Hawkes is the only Gamecock to start every game this season. Hawks averages 12.1 points and 4.1 rebounds. She leads the team with 58 assists and 36 steals. 

Redhawks Nationally Ranked
The Redhawks rank in the top 20 nationally in offensive rebounds per game (7th, 16.5), rebounding margin (16, 8.8), rebounds (10th, 935) and rebounds per game (8th, 44.52). SEMO leads the OVC in offensive rebounds per game (16.5), rebounding margin (8.8), rebounds (935), rebounds per game (44.52), scoring offense (73.2) and win-loss percentage. Individually, Tesia Thompson ranks in free throw attempts (37th, 122) and free throws made (23rd, 99).  

Shephard Reaches Top 20
Guard Carrie Shephard ranks among the top NCAA women's basketball players in various categories. The Steele, Missouri native is ranked in 3-point field goals made (7th, 66), 3-point field goals per game (9th, 3.14), 3-point field goals attempted (26th, 157), steals (47th, 49), and steals per game (55th, 2.33). Shephard leads the OVC in each of these categories. 

Seven-Game Winning Streak
Southeast Missouri is on a season-long seven-game winning streak going into Thursday's home game. SEMO has won six of its last seven games on the road and holds a 9-4 record outside of Cape Girardeau. The seven-game winning streak is currently the longest in the Ohio Valley Conference and the is tied for the 11th longest streak in DI Women's Basketball. 

Start of Conference Play
SEMO finished the first half of Ohio Valley Conference play with a 7-2 record. The Redhawks ended on a six-game winning streak, that has now added up to seven-straight wins.  This is the best start in conference play for the Redhawks since a 5-1 mark in the 2015-16 season. The Redhawks have recorded wins over Tennessee State (Jan. 11), Murray State (Jan. 18), SIUE (Jan. 23), EIU (Jan. 25), Morehead State (Jan. 30) and a sweep over Austin Peay (Jan. 2, Jan. 16). The two conference loses came against Murray State (Jan. 4) and Belmont (Jan. 9).

Finishing Strong
The Redhawks will carry a six-game winning streak into the second-half of Ohio Valley Conference play. SEMO is scheduled to face Jacksonville State, Tennessee Tech and UT Martin twice. TTU and UTM are currently tied for first place.  The Redhawks still will look to face SIUE and Eastern Illinois at the Show Me Center. 

Block Party
Redshirt-junior LaTrese Saine registered 35 blocks this season, landing her tied for ninth among the school's single-season leaders. Chandra Brown holds the record with 49 blocks in a single season. Saine has 96 blocks in her career, putting her tied for fourth among SEMO's career leaders.

Shephard Drains Threes
Carrie Shephard has made 66 three-pointers this season and ranks sixth among SEMO's single-season leaders. Shephard set the single season record with 73 made three-pointers a year ago. The Steele, Missouri native is currently shooting 42 percent (66-157) from beyond the arc. Shephard made 139 three-pointers in her career thus far and stands fourth on SEMO's all-time career list. Julie Meier (1991-1995) holds the record with 174 three-pointers made.

1,000 Point Club
Junior Tesia Thompson became just the 10th Redhawk in the Division I  era to surpass 1,000-career points. She reached this milestone at Ole Miss (Dec. 14) in the first quarter. In her career, Thompson averages 15.8 points per contest. She was sidelined for three games earlier this season due to a concussion. Olivia Hackmann (2012-2017) was the last Redhawk to score over 1,000 points. 

Thompson Scores Big
Junior Tesia Thompson has 1,220 points in her career at Southeast Missouri. Thompson is 10th all-time on the school's career scoring list. Gray C. Harris (1992-1996) holds the scoring title with 2,176 career-points. Thompson currently has 303 points this season, averaging 16.8 per contest. 

Non-Conference Play
The Redhawks finished their non-conference slate with a 8-3 record. SEMO dropped games to Eastern Michigan (64-69, Nov. 19), Saint Louis (76-61, Dec. 3) and Western Illinois (97-91, Dec. 17). The Redhawks blew past SEC's Ole Miss (70-53, Dec. 14) and Harris-Stowe (106-64, Dec. 29), and beat Evansville (83-60, Nov. 10), Arkansas State (79-67, Nov. 13), Purdue-Fort Wayne (58-48, Nov. 21), Southern Illinois (79-65, Dec. 7) and Indiana State (68-55, Dec. 21). Carrie Shephard leads the team with 18.4 points and 3.7 three-pointers per game. SEMO was undefeated when leading at halftime and forced 15-plus turnovers in all but one contest during its non-conference season.

SEMO Sweeps Austin Peay
Carrie Shephard scored a game-high 19 points and Southeast Missouri used a key run down the stretch to hold off Austin Peay in a 79-66 Ohio Valley Conference opening win Jan. 2 at the Dunn Center. It was the first time the Redhawks defeated the Governors in Clarksville under head coach Rekha Patterson. The Redhawks then forced a season-high 25 turnovers, resulting in a season-best 15 steals in an 81-43 victory over the Governors on Jan. 16. SEMO held APSU to a season-low 23 points in the first half of that game. It was the second-straight game SEMO held its opponent to 23 first-half points. 

Redhawks Topple Ole Miss
Southeast Missouri recorded a dominating 70-53 win over SEC member Ole Miss for its first road win over an SEC school in program history. The win was SEMO's second all-time against a SEC foe and first since the Redhawks beat Missouri, 90-71, at home on Nov. 24, 1998. The Redhawks started a season with wins in six of their first eight games for the first time since 1993-94.