OVC #17
Southeast Missouri (13-8, 11-5 OVC) vs. Eastern Kentucky (7-12, 6-9 OVC)
 
Game Information
Date: Thursday, Feb. 18, 2021
Tip-off: 6 p.m., CT
Location: Cape Girardeau, Mo.   
Arena: Show Me Center
Series: EKU leads 30-18, 0-1 in 2020-21
Last Meeting: SEMO Win 61-55 | Jan. 23, 2021 | McBrayer Arena | Richmond, Ky.
Head Coaches: Rekha Patterson (93-81, Sixth Season); Samantha Williams (18-30, Second Season)
 
Follow the Redhawks
Video: ESPN+
Radio: ESPN 93.5 FM & 1220 AM (Clint Allen)
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Twitter: @OfficialSEMOWBB
Game Notes: Southeast Missouri (PDF)
Eastern Kentucky (PDF)
 
Redhawks Host Eastern Kentucky Thursday to Open Final Homestand
Southeast Missouri women's basketball (13-8, 11-5 OVC) welcomes Eastern Kentucky (7-12, 6-9 OVC) to Cape Girardeau Thursday to open the Redhawks final regular-season homestand of the 2020-21 season. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m., CT at the Show Me Center.
 
Follow the Redhawks 
Fans can listen to Thursday's game live on the radio at ESPN 93.5 FM & 1220 AM with Clint Allen calling the action. The game will also be televised live on ESPN+. Follow the game on Twitter @OfficialSEMOWBB.
 
Series History 
Eastern Kentucky leads the all-time series with SEMO, 30-18.
 
The Redhawks won the initial 2020-21 meeting, 61-55, on Jan. 23, 2021 at the McBrayer Arena in Richmond, Kentucky. Tesia Thompson paced SEMO with 18 points and six rebounds. Roshala Scott added 15 points, on a 7-for-12 shooting day. Terri Smith and LaTrese Saine each chipped in 10 points apiece. Saine also had a game-high 11 boards for her second-straight double-double outing.
 
SEMO has won the last five meeting between the two schools. 
 
Scouting the Colonels
Eastern Kentucky fell to Belmont (2/11) and Jacksonville State (2/15) while also defeating Tennessee State (2/13) last week. Jayla Johnson averaged 17.7 points and 4.0 rebounds for OVC Newcomer of the Week honors. She had a game-high 26 points against Belmont. Johnson added 16 points versus Tennessee State. Kendall Wingler recorded 17.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per game last week. She posted a game-best 21 points in the win over TSU. The Colonels most recently fell at Jacksonville State on Monday, 73-55. 
 
Thompson Named OVC Player of the Week
Tesia Thompson was named the Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Week, the league announced Tuesday.
 
Thompson, a senior guard from Memphis, Tennessee, paced the Redhawks offense this past week with 56 points (18.7ppg) as SEMO won two of its three road contests. She averaged a double-double for the week, chipping in 33 rebounds (11.0rpg) in a team-high 110 minutes.
 
About Last Week
SEMO went 2-1 last week in its weeklong road trip. The Redhawks beat Belmont, 70-66, to start the week on Feb. 9. SEMO then fell at Murray State, 81-79, on Feb. 12 before overcoming Austin Peay in overtime, 73-68, on Feb. 13.
 
Thompson in Double-Figures
Tesia Thompson has finished in double-digits scoring in each of the past 13 games and posted double-figures for boards seven times this season. She now has 96 double-figure point games in her career as a Redhawk. 
 
Thompson registered consecutive 20 or more point outings in the two most recent Redhawk contests. She tallied 21 with 11 boards for her sixth double-double this campaign at Murray State on Feb. 12 before dropping 20 points and eight boards in the overtime victory over Austin Peay on Feb. 13. Thompson has accumulated six 20-point games this season.
 
In the OVC this season, Thompson leads the conference in field goal attempts (343), field goals made (140), free throw makes and attempts (104-for-136). She also tops the conference with 396 points and is second in the league with 18.9 points per game. Rebounding, Thompson is third in the league overall with 183 boards (8.7rpg). Lastly, she is second in the OVC with 709:09 minutes of court time. 
 
Rely on Your Upperclassmen
Junior Taelour Pruitt registered a personal-high 25 points and combined with seniors Tesia Thompson (20) and LaTrese Saine (15) for 60 points as SEMO outlasted Austin Peay (10-7, 8-5 OVC), 73-68, in overtime on Feb. 13 at the Winfield Dunn Center.
 
Welcome Back TP!! 
Taelour Pruitt led the Redhawks with a career-best 25 points on Feb. 13 as the Redhawks overcame Austin Peay in overtime, 73-68.
 
Pruitt shot 6-for-8 from the field in her fourth game back from injury. The junior from Arlington, Texas, finished 4-for-6 on treys and 9-for-10 at the charity stripe. She also dished out four assists and tallied four steals in the victory.
 
Pruitt also had seven points at Belmont on Feb. 9 and an eight-point outing at Murray State on Feb. 12. 
 
TP For THREE!!
Taelour Pruitt hit a game-winning 3-pointer with 1:08 left in regulation on Feb. 9 at Belmont to provide the Redhawks with a 66-65 advantage they wouldn't relinquish to complete the comeback win (70-66). Pruitt also added a free throw down the stretch to seal the win. 
 
In her second game back from injury, Pruitt finished with seven points, connecting on 2-for-5 from the field and 2-for-3 from beyond the arc in 22 minutes of court time. 
 
Pruitt missed eight games from Jan. 14 to Feb. 4 with an injury before making her return against Jacksonville State on Feb. 6. She tallied three steals, two assists, two points and a board in 19 minutes of action in the contest with the Gamecocks.
 
GREAT SCOTT!!
Roshala Scott led the Redhawks in two of their three road games last week. Scott posted a career-best tying 22 points in SEMO's loss at Murray State on Feb. 12. She converted 10-for-14 from the field, including 2-for-5 from 3-point range while compiling five rebounds and three assists. 
 
Scott opened the week with 15 points and five boards on Feb. 9 at Belmont. She shot 6-for-12 from the field and converted both of her free throw attempts. She also passed out five assists and finished with a steal in the victory over the Bruins. 
 
Scott finished the weeklong road trip with seven points in the overtime victory over Austin Peay on Feb. 13.
 
Redhawks Debut
Briana Johns made her Redhawks debut in the road contest at Belmont on Feb. 9. The freshman from Alexandria, Virginia, saw four minutes of action in the second quarter. Johns then competed in five minutes at Murray State on Feb. 12. 
 
Phi-Fi-Fo-Fum
Sophia Hancock, a former walk-on, was surprised with a scholarship during the team's morning film session on Jan. 20. Hancock has come off the bench for SEMO in 14 games this season.
 
Hancock registered a career outing against Tennessee Tech on Feb. 4. The Puxico, Missouri, native registered a career-best four steals to lead the Redhawks. She also notched personal-bests with six points and five boards in 27 minutes of court time.
 
Mayfield Off the Bench
Freshman Michaela Mayfield tallied a personal-high six points at Murray State on Feb. 12. The freshman from Gurdon, Arkansas, was 3-for-5 from the field with four rebounds in 14 minutes of court time. Mayfield has appeared in nine games this season. 
 
A Career Day for Scott
Roshala Scott led the Redhawks at UT Martin on Feb. 1 with a career-best outing of 22 points. Scott went to the break with 15 points and finished the contest 8-for-10 from the field in a career-high 37 minutes of court time. The Earle, Arkansas native, was 4-for-6 from behind the arc and also tied a season-high seven rebounds. Scott hit a personal-best eight field goals and four 3-pointers.
 
Scott also dished out four assists at UTM. She is second in the OVC for assists with 68 (3.2 assists/game). Scott tallied six at Eastern Kentucky (1/23) and against SIUE (1/28). Offensively, Scott is averaging 9.6 points per game in 30.6 minutes per game (639:58 in 2020-21, sixth in the OVC).
  
Smith in the Starting 5
Terri Smith has appeared in the Redhawks starting lineup each of the past 12 games with the absence of Taelour Pruitt due to injury. She has finished in double figures four times including most recently 12 for the second time this season against UTM on Feb. 1.
 
Smith, a Western Kentucky transfer, chipped in a career-best 14 points in 39 minutes of action against Austin Peay on Jan. 16. Smith was 5-for-10 from the field and knocked down 50 percent from three (4-8) and tallied five boards. She made her first career SEMO start against Murray State on Jan. 14, finishing with six points in 36 minutes of play.
 
Blocks Queen Leads the OVC
LaTrese Saine leads the conference with 3.95 blocks per game and 83 blocks. Nationally, she ranks second for both statistics.
 
Saine registered a pair of blocks at Eastern Kentucky (Jan. 23) to surpass Chandra Brown (2004-05, 49) for first overall in Redhawks history in a single season. In the SEMO record books, Saine also ranks first for career blocks (192) and single-game blocks (10 vs. Murray State 1/14/21) along with single-season blocks (83).
 
She ranks first in the OVC with eight double-doubles this season, most recently notching the feat with 15 points and 14 boards at Austin Peay on Feb. 13. Saine is also second in the OVC for rebounds with 187 and averaging 8.9 per game. She has appeared in 609:42 minutes of court time (13th in the OVC). 
 
Iron Lady
Sophie Bussard leads the Redhawks and is first in the OVC with 35.33 minutes per game and 742 total minutes played.
 
Bussard has competed in all 40 minutes four times this season. She is averaging 8.6 points per game. Bussard finished with 14 points at Murray State on Feb. 12.
 
Board Woman Gets Paid
The Redhawks lead the league with 40.43 rebounds per game and 849 rebounds. SEMO is outrebounding their opponents by 4.0, which is second in the OVC. 
 
The Redhawks finished with a positive double-digit rebound margin of 15 at Belmont on Feb. 9, outrebounding the Bruins, 44-29. 
 
Starting January 2021 on a High Note
SEMO registered a 6-2 mark in the first month of 2021. The Redhawks rang in the New Year with an 84-50 win over Tennessee State on Jan. 2 which started a four-game win streak in January and bridged a five-game win streak from Dec. 30, 2020 through Jan. 16, 2021.  SEMO also picked up wins on TSU (1/9), Murray State (1/14), Austin Peay (1/16), Eastern Kentucky (1/23) and SIUE (1/28).
 
SEMO vs. Morehead State Game Rescheduled
SEMO's game against Morehead State on Friday, Feb. 19 has been rescheduled to Saturday, Feb. 20. Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m., CT at the Show Me Center.
 
Season-High For Tesia
Tesia Thompson led all scorers against Austin Peay on Jan. 16 with a season-high 33 points in her 100th career game in a Redhawks uniform. Thompson finished 12-for-21 from the field and was perfect at the charity stripe for the second-straight game (9-9, 17-17 vs. Murray State and Austin Peay). She also had seven rebounds.
  
Block Party!!
The Redhawks notched single-game records for blocks in SEMO's victory over Murray State on Jan. 14. LaTrese Saine swatted away a career-best 10 to improve upon her previous Redhawk single-game blocks record (6 at Morehead State, 2/8/18). As a team the Redhawks finished with 13, which surpassed the previous mark of 10 set on Feb. 14, 2007 at EIU.
 
SEMO is second in the OVC with 126 blocked shots and 6.0 blocks per game. The Redhawks also lead the conference in field-goal percentage defense (36.3). SEMO ranks third in the OVC for scoring defense (60.7).
 
Non-Conference Slate
SEMO posted a 2-3 mark during the non-conference portion of it 2020-21 schedule. The Redhawks opened the season with a 74-53 loss to #5 Louisville on Nov. 25 before earning their first victory of the campaign over the University of Health Sciences & Pharmacy (75-44) on Dec. 1. SEMO dropped a 63-49 decision to Eastern Michigan on Dec. 6. The Redhawks notched their second win of the season over Western Illinois, 67-57. SEMO then fell to regional rival, Southern Illinois, 67-51, in Carbondale, Illinois, on Dec. 18.
 
In five non-conference games, Tesia Thompson paced the team with 93 points (18.6 ppg) and 29 rebounds (5.8 per game). Taelour Pruitt (48 points) and LaTrese Saine (47 points) averaged just under 10 points per game during the non-conference slate. Saine also posted 33 boards (6.6 per game) with 14 blocks (2.8 per game).
 
OVC Preseason Poll
SEMO was picked third in the 2020-21 Ohio Valley Conference Women's Basketball Preseason Poll. Tesia Thompson was named to the Preseason All-OVC Team for the third-straight year. SEMO tallied 206 points in the overall voting by the OVC Head Coaches and Communications Directors. The Redhawks also collected two first-place votes.
 
1,000 Point Club
Tesia Thompson became just the 10th Redhawk in the Division I era to surpass 1,000 career points. She reached this milestone last season at Ole Miss (Dec. 14, 2019) in the first quarter. She currently has 1,893 career points, putting her second all-time on the school's career scoring list in the Division I era.
 
OVC Tournament Champions
SEMO won its second OVC Tournament Championship in program history and first since 2006-07 this last season. The Redhawks went undefeated at 3-0 in this year's conference tournament winning each of their final two games by double figures against the tourney's top-two seeds. A day after a staggering offensive showcase, #3 Southeast Missouri used a remarkable defensive effort to stomp UT Martin and win the 2020 Ohio Valley Conference Tournament title with a 67-47 victory on Mar. 7, 2020. The Redhawks, who claimed the league's automatic berth to the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Tournament, were unable to play further into the postseason due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
Ring Ceremony and Banner Reveal
The Redhawks brought back the members of their historic 2019-20 Ohio Valley Conference Tournament championship team for a ring ceremony and banner reveal prior to their game against University of Health Sciences & Pharmacy (Dec. 1). SEMO capped the 2019-20 season with an overall record of 25-7 and 14-4 mark in OVC play. The Redhawks put together three record-breaking performances at the OVC Tournament to capture the crown and secure the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.