Game #26 | OVC #15
Southeast Missouri (5-20, 1-13 OVC)
at Tennessee Tech (16-8, 11-3 OVC)
Game Information
Date: Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022
Tip-off:  5:30 p.m., CT 
Location: Cookeville, Tenn. 
Arena: Eblen Center
Series: Tennessee Tech leads SEMO, 33-23
Last Meeting: 75-58 TTU Win | Jan. 13, 2022 | Cape Girardeau, Mo. | Show Me Center
Head Coaches: Rekha Patterson (100-104, Seventh Season); Kim Rosamond (87-84, Sixth Season at TTU)
Video: ESPN+ 
Radio: SEMOESPN (Rusty Hendricks)
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
 
Game #27 | OVC #16
Southeast Missouri (5-20, 1-13 OVC)
at Morehead State (1-23, 0-14 OVC)
Game Information
Date: Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022
Tip-off: 1 p.m., CT 
Location: Morehead, Ky.  
Arena: Johnson Center
Series: SEMO leads 26-22
Last Meeting: 60-53 SEMO Win | Jan. 27, 2022 | Cape Girardeau, Mo. | Show Me Center
Head Coaches: Rekha Patterson (100-104, Seventh Season); Cayla Petree (1-23, First Season at Morehead State, 24-54 Overall, Three Seasons)
Video: ESPN+ 
Radio: Real Rock 99.3 FM (Rusty Hendricks)
Live Stats: StatBroadcast

Follow the Redhawks
Twitter: @OfficialSEMOWBB
Media Guide: Southeast Missouri
Game Notes: SEMO at TTU | SEMO at Morehead State
Tennessee Tech | Morehead State
 
Redhawks Trek to Tennessee Tech Thursday and Morehead State Saturday for Final Regular-Season Road Trip
Southeast Missouri women's basketball (5-20, 1-13 OVC) hits the road for its final regular-season road trip of the 2021-22 regular season Thursday and Saturday this week. SEMO will head to Tennessee Tech (16-8, 11-3 OVC) Thursday before closing out the excursion Saturday at Morehead State (1-23, 0-14 OVC).
 
The contests are set for 5:30 p.m., CT, at the Eblen Center in Cookeville, Tennessee, Thursday and 1 p.m., CT Saturday at the Johnson Center in Morehead, Kentucky. 

Follow the Redhawks 
Fans can listen to Thursday and Saturday's games live on the radio at SEMOESPN (Thursday) and Real Rock 99.3 FM (Saturday) with Rusty Hendricks calling the action. The games will also be televised live on ESPN+. Follow the game on Twitter @OfficialSEMOWBB.
 
Series History 
Tennessee Tech 
The Golden Eagles lead the all-time series with SEMO, 33-23. 
 
TTU won the initial meeting, 75-58, Jan. 13, 2022 at the Show Me Center. Jaliyah Green registered a career-best 16 points with five rebounds. Green, a freshman from Wentzville, Missouri, shot 5-for-12 from the field and was a perfect 6-for-6 at the charity stripe in a career-best matching 34 minutes. Kennedi Watkins added 10 points and three boards.
 
SEMO previously had won the last seven meetings between the two schools before this season. 
 
Morehead State 
SEMO leads the all-time series with Morehead State, 26-22.
 
The Redhawks won the initial meeting in 2021-22, 60-53, Jan. 27, 2022. Four Redhawks finished in double-digits scoring as SEMO registered its first Ohio Valley Conference victory of the 2021-22 season. The win marked head coach Rekha Patterson's 100th career victory at the helm of the SEMO program and also snapped a nine-game losing streak for the Redhawks.
 
Taelour Pruitt paced SEMO with 15 points while Deanay Watson and Kennedi Watkins each had 12 points. Watson finished with a double-double, adding 10 boards while Watkins pulled down nine rebounds. Roshala Scott chipped in 10 points and seven rebounds in her first start back from injury since Jan. 6 at Belmont.
 
The Redhawks and the Eagles split the 2020-21 series with each team winning in their respective building.

Scouting the Opponents
Tennessee Tech 
The Golden Eagles are 16-8 in 2021-22 and have amassed an 11-3 mark in league play. TTU has won nine of their last 10 games including this past week at Eastern Illinois (Feb. 10, 65-56) and at SIUE (Feb. 12, 68-64).
 
Anna Jones nearly averaged a double-double with 18.5 points and 9.0 rebounds to earn OVC Player of the Week. She had 14 points, seven rebounds and three assists at Eastern Illinois. She followed that up with her third double-double of the season with a game-high 23 points, 11 rebounds and two assists against SIUE.
 
Morehead State 
The Eagles are 1-23 in 2021-22 and 0-14 in OVC competitions. Morehead State is currently on a 21-game losing streak. 
 
Last week the Eagles lost at Belmont (76-51, Feb. 10) and to Murray State (72-58, Feb 12 in Morehead, Kentucky). Morehead State will face UT Martin Wednesday in Martin, Tennessee, before hosting SEMO on Saturday. 
 
Julan McDonald led the Eagles in scoring this past week, posting her highest weekly scoring average of the season with 17.5 points per game. McDonald also pulled down nearly seven rebounds per game, connecting on a season-high two three pointers along with a season-high four assists against Belmont and continued being a dominant defensive presence with three more blocks this week.

Familiar Face on the Eagles
Saturday will mark Terri Smith's second outing against her former team. Smith averaged 6.2 points with 2.0 rebounds in 27.5 minutes last season with the Redhawks. She started the final 17 games of the season and appeared in 26. Smith had eight double-digit games including the last four to conclude the 2020-21 campaign.

Smith finished with nine points, three rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block in a team-high 37 minutes in the initial matchup between the two teams, Jan. 27, where the Redhawks won 60-53. She shot 4-for-13 including 1-for-6 from three-point range. 

About Last Week
SEMO dropped its pair of contests this past week. The Redhawks fell at Austin Peay, 79-38, at the Winfield Dunn Center in Clarksville, Tennessee, Feb. 10 before dropping a 70-67 decision to OVC preseason favorite and current leader, Belmont.

Taelour Pruitt led SEMO with 13 points in her 100th career game as a Redhawk at Austin Peay Feb. 10. The senior from Crowley, Texas, shot 5-for-13 from the field including 3-for-9 from distance with three rebounds and a steal in a game-high 33 minutes.
 
Roshala Scott registered a career-best 25 points while Taelour Pruitt and Deanay Watson each added 10 against Belmont. Scott shot 8-for-12 from the field including 2-for-3 from distance with seven rebounds. The Earle, Arkansas, native was also 7-for-7 at the charity stripe.
 
Pruitt Competes in 100th Career Game at SEMO
Taelour Pruitt played in her 100th career game as a Redhawk Feb. 10 at Austin Peay. The senior from Crowley, Texas, has made 68 starts and totaled 857 points in her career at SEMO.

Pruitt ranks eighth overall in SEMO program history for career 3-pointers (113). She also is 10th for steals (157) and 11th for assists (287).
  
She ranks ninth in OVC only play with 3.1 assists (44), fifth for steals (2.3spg, 32) and has an assist-turnover margin of 0.9 (10th). Pruitt is also ninth on three-pointers made with 21 (1.5 per game). She has appeared in 428 minutes (30.6 minutes per game, 18th) and is averaging 9.7 points per game (136 points).
 
Overall in 2021-22, Pruitt is second for three-pointers attempted (134) and fifth for steals (2.00spg, 50 steals).
 
Great Scott!
Roshala Scott paced the Redhawks this past week with 27 points (13.5ppg) and nine rebounds (4.5rpg). 
 
Scott registered a career-best 25 points Feb. 12 against Belmont. She shot 8-for-12 from the field including 2-for-3 from distance with seven rebounds. The Earle, Arkansas, native was also a personal-best 7-for-7 at the charity stripe. She also totaled six assists over the two games.
 
Scott has played in 19 games in 2021-22 season. Scott has started 10 games including the last two. She is averaging 11.2 points, and 4.4 rebounds in 25.6 minutes.
 
Watkins is Wat's Up With That
Kennedi Watkins paced the Redhawks newcomers with 12 points (6.0ppg) and 11 rebounds (5.5rpg) this past week. Watkins opened the week with four points, five rebounds and two blocks Feb. 10 at Austin Peay before closing the week with eight points and six rebounds against Belmont on Feb. 12. Against Belmont, Watkins shot 43 percent from the field.

She has started in five of the last eight games for the Redhawks and has notched double digits scoring in seven of the last 10 games. 
 
Watkins tied a career-best 14 points for the third time this season, producing the feat against SIUE on Jan. 29. She previously notched 14 points at SIUE (Jan. 15) and against Mississippi Valley State (Nov. 26, 2021).
 
Watkins has played in 21 games and started in the first seven games of the 2021-22 season. Watkins has started 12 games this season. She is averaging 8.0 points, and 5.6 rebounds in 21.7 minutes.
 
She ranks first in OVC games with 2.9 offensive rebounds (40). Watkins is averaging 8.5 points per game in OVC play with 5.4 rebounds per game (14th, 76).

First Career Starts as Redhawks
Michaela Mayfield made her first career start as a Redhawk Feb. 12 against Belmont. 

Chandler Davis and Diona Reed also both made their first career starts as Redhawks Feb. 5 against Eastern Illinois. Reed finished with four points, a personal best three rebounds and an assist in 13 minutes.
 
Davis appeared in 12 minutes Feb. 5 after finishing with a career-high eight points to pace the Redhawks non-starters at UT Martin on Feb. 3. She shot 3-for-4 from the field and a perfect 2-for-2 on treys against the Skyhawks. 
 
Davis made her second-straight start at Austin Peay on Feb. 10 while Reed made her second career start against Belmont Feb. 12.
 
Good Show, Watson
Deanay Watson has posted double-figures scoring in six of SEMO's last seven games. She has notched a double-double in three of those games during that span. 
 
She most recently had seven points and four rebounds at Austin Peay (Feb. 10) followed by 10 points and seven boards versus Belmont (Feb. 12) this past week.
 
Watson paced the Redhawks with 30 points (15.0ppg) and 12 rebounds (6.0rpg) at UT Martin (Feb. 3) and against Eastern Illinois (Feb. 5). Watson opened the week with a double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds at UT Martin (Feb. 3). Watson converted 6-for-11 from the field in a game-high 35 minutes for her fourth double-double of the 2021-22 campaign. She then paced the Redhawks with 15 points, shooting 6-for-8 from the floor and 3-for-4 on free throws against Eastern Illinois (Feb. 5). She also compiled an assist and a steal over the two games this past week.
 
Watson, a senior from Bradenton, Florida, has started in all but two games (23 starts in 25 games) for the Redhawks in 2021-22. She has posted double-figure points in 18 games. Watson is averaging 11.2 points per game with 5.8 boards in 29.6 minutes. Watson is shooting 53 percent from the field and has registered 10 or more points in 14 of the last 18 games.
 
In OVC play, Watson is averaging 12.5 points (14th) with 5.9 rebounds (9th) in 31.2 minutes (12th). She is shooting .497 (71-143) and is fifth for offensive rebounding (34, 2.4/game).
  
TP Heating Up
Taelour Pruitt has registered double-figures scoring in five of the last six games to lead SEMO on the stats sheet in four of the last five games.
 
Pruitt most recently led the Redhawks with 13 points at Austin Peay on Feb. 10. She finished last week with 10 points with four rebounds for second on the team against Belmont on Feb. 12.
 
She also paced the Redhawks with 16 points at UT Martin on Feb. 3. She shot 4-for-8 from the field including 4-for-7 from beyond the arc with five rebounds and four steals. She was also 4-for-6 at the charity stripe.

Stewart the Facilitator 
Johné Stewart has passed out a career-best six assists in two of the last five games.
 
Stewart most recently had six assists with four points at UT Martin on Feb. 3.

She tallied a career best six rebounds and six assists in her third career start as a Redhawk Jan. 29, 2022 against SIUE. 
 
She made her first career start as a Redhawk on Jan. 13 against Tennessee Tech. Stewart finished with three points and three rebounds in 14 minutes of court time. She closed the week with a career-best 33 minutes at SIUE on Jan. 15.
 
Stewart, a transfer from Jacksonville, has played in 20 games this season with four starts. She is averaging 17.2 minutes of court time with 2.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists.

Smith in the Starting 5
Halle Smith, a freshman forward from Belle, Missouri, has started in 13 of the last 18 contests for the Redhawks.
 
Smith had 14 points and five rebounds to lead SEMO against Tennessee State on Jan. 20. She finished 50 percent shooting and notched a personal-best three blocks.
 
Smith registered a career-best 18 points Dec. 5 in the Redhawks win over Harris-Stowe State. Smith added eight rebounds to complement her point total in 27 minutes. She shot 6-for-8 on field goals and 6-for-6 on free throws with two blocks in her second-straight start.
 
Smith made her first career start as a Redhawk against Saint Louis on Dec. 3, finishing with nine points and three boards.
 
She also registered consecutive 10-point games against Arkansas State (Nov. 22) and Mississippi Valley State (Nov. 26).
 
Smith has competed in all 25 games in 2021-22 and is averaging 6.5 points and 4.2 boards in 20.8 minutes. She is shooting 47 percent from the field and 30 percent from beyond the arc.

First OVC Win in 2021-22
Four Redhawks finished in double-digits scoring as SEMO registered its first Ohio Valley Conference victory of the 2021-22 season, 60-53, over Morehead State (1-17, 0-8 OVC) Jan. 27, 2022 at the Show Me Center.
  
Taelour Pruitt paced SEMO with 15 points while Watson and Kennedi Watkins each had 12 points. Watson finished with a double-double, adding 10 boards while Watkins pulled down nine rebounds. Roshala Scott chipped in 10 points and seven rebounds in her first start back from injury since Jan. 6 at Belmont.
  
Pruitt, Watkins and Scott each had four steals as the Redhawks totaled a season high 17. SEMO cashed in 26 points off Morehead State turnovers Thursday.

Pruitt shot 5-for-11 and 4-for-4 on free throws with two assists.
 
Watson appeared in a game-high 38 minutes, going 5-for-14 from the field. Watkins finished 5-for-13 shooting for her fifth-straight double-digit game.
 
Patterson Eclipses 100 Career Wins
Head coach Rekha Patterson eclipsed the 100-win mark in her career at the helm of Southeast Missouri with a 60-53 victory over Morehead State on Jan. 27, 2022. In seven seasons at SEMO, Patterson has registered a record of 100-104.

Tomlin From Downtown
Kori Tomlin registered nine points, three assists, two steals and a rebound, coming off the bench against SIUE on Jan. 29.
 
Tomlin, a junior transfer from Moberly Area Community College, shot a career-best 3-for-3 from beyond the arc and finished 3-for-5 shooting.
 
Tomlin made her first career start as a Redhawk Dec. 9 against Purdue Fort Wayne and has started in seven of the last eight games for SEMO. She finished with a career-best four steals, four assists and three points against the Mastodons.
 
Tomlin posted a career-best 10 points in 24 minutes against Harris-Stowe State on Dec. 5. She was 3-for-9 shooting and 3-for-7 on triples with five assists and two steals.
 
Tomlin has played in all 25 games thus far this season and is averaging 3.5 points, 1.5 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 22.8 minutes of court time. She is shooting 34 percent from the field and 33 percent from distance.
  
Let's Go, Dream!!
Michaela Mayfield tallied a career best nine points, going a personal-best 7-for-8 at the charity stripe against Tennessee State on Jan. 20. Mayfield also finished with two boards, two assists and a steal in 16 minutes of court time.
 
Mayfield, a sophomore from Gurdon, Arkansas, has played in 24 games in 2021-22 for the Redhawks. She is averaging 2.0 points with 2.3 rebounds in 9.9 minutes of action. She most recently made her first career start against Belmont on Feb. 12. 
  
Where We Rank in the OVC
SEMO ranks third as a team in the conference with 873 rebounds (35.92rpg, sixth).

Deanay Watson leads the Redhawks with 144 (5.8rpg) followed by Kennedi Watkins (118, 5.6rpg).
 
Roshala Scott (83) is averaging 4.4 rebounds per game and Halle Smith has 105 (4.2rpg). Jaliyah Green has 67 (3.4rpg).

SEMO is fourth for steals (218, 8.7 steals/game), fifth for blocked shots (69, 2.8 blocks/game) and sixth for free throw attempts (267-for-394).
  
In OVC only play, SEMO is fifth for offensive rebounds (11.6, 163), sixth for three-point field goal defense (.320) and fifth for offensive rebound percentage (.337) and sixth for steals (9.4, 131).
      
Redhawks Add Mid-Year Transfer Forward Julia Sion
SEMO head coach Rekha Patterson announced Jan. 10 the addition of mid-year transfer Julia Sion for the 2021-22 season. Sion, a 6-2 junior forward, will join the Redhawks this season after transferring from North Alabama. She will have two years of eligibility remaining and is not eligible this season after playing at UNA in 2021-22.
 
Non-Conference Recap
SEMO went 4-7 in its 2021-22 non-conference slate. The Redhawks picked up wins over the University of Health Sciences & Pharmacy (UHSP, 68-45, Nov. 9), Mississippi Valley State (82-76, Nov. 26), Harris-Stowe State (95-57, Dec. 5) and Purdue Fort Wayne (68-51, Dec. 9).

Career-High for Watson
Deanay Watson registered her first double-double outing of the 2021-22 campaign with a career-best 23 points, 11 rebounds with two steals and a block in 30 minutes of court time Dec. 5 against Harris-Stowe State. It was her second career double-double as a Redhawk.
 
Watson, a senior from Bradenton, Florida, was 9-for-12 from the field including 50 percent (1-for-2) from three-point range. She also was perfect 4-for-4 on free throws.
      
Redhawks Ink Alecia Doyle for 2022-23 Season
SEMO announced the signing of Alecia Doyle for the 2022-23 season Nov. 11. Doyle, a 5-8 guard from Herrin, Illinois, is a four-year starter and letter-winner and will graduate from Carterville High School in May 2022.
 
As a junior, she was named Southern Illinoisan Player of the Year, AP First Team All-State, Illinois Basketball Coaches Association All-State, Mississippi First Team All-Conference and SICA All-South Team. She averaged 20.1points, seven rebounds, five assists and five steals per game.
 
First Win in 2021-22
SEMO captured its first victory of the 2021-22 campaign, 68-45, over the University of Health Sciences & Pharmacy (UHSP in St. Louis) (1-3) Nov. 9 at the Show Me Center.
 
Three Redhawks finished in double-figures including a team-high 14 points and four rebounds from Roshala Scott. Freshman Kennedi Watkins chipped in 13 points and seven rebounds in her first career start. Deanay Watson also finished with a career-best tying 12 points and five boards.
 
Shymaryia Christopher and Jaliyah Green also both made their first career collegiate starts in the victory. Christopher finished with eight points while Green had five. Halle Smith, Johné Stewart and Kori Tomlin also made their Redhawk debuts. Tomlin led all SEMO players with 25 minutes. Taelour Pruitt dished out a career-best matching seven assists to accompany eight points.
 
Exhibition Recap
SEMO defeated William Woods, 66-49, in exhibition play Nov. 1 at the Show Me Center.
 
Freshman Jaliyah Green led the Redhawks with 16 points to go with five rebounds and Deanay Watson chipped in 13 points hauling down eight rebounds. Roshala Scott added nine points and Shymaryia Christopher finished with seven.
  
OVC Preseason Poll
Southeast Missouri was selected to finish sixth in the Ohio Valley Conference in 2021-22. The Redhawks received 91 points in the projected order of finish.
 
Belmont, the 2020-21 OVC Tournament Champions, was selected to finish first with 15 first place votes and 159 total points in the preseason poll. Destinee Wells, the 2020-21 OVC Tournament MVP and Freshman of the Year from Belmont, was tabbed the 2021-22 OVC Preseason Player of the Year.

Team Makeup
The Redhawks return four starters from its 2020-21 team in seniors Taelour Pruitt and Deanay Watson along with juniors Roshala Scott and Sophie Bussard.
 
Scott was third on SEMO this past season with 10.2 points per game (265 points) and ranked fifth in the OVC in 2020-21 with 3.4 assists per game. Pruitt averaged just under 10 points (9.9, 159 points) per game in 2020-21. Bussard netted 8.8 points per contest (230 points) and paced the OVC with 931:15 minutes of court time, averaging 35.82 minutes per game.
 
Sophomores Michaela Mayfield, Chandler Davis and Shymaryia Christopher round out the returnees this season. Mayfield was the lone freshman from that group to play this previous year and saw time at forward.

The Redhawks also added eight newcomers in three transfers, four freshmen and a sophomore.
 
Johné Stewart brings NCAA Division I experience to the team while Kori Tomlin transferred in from Moberly Area Community College.
 
Freshmen Kennedi Watkins, Halle Smith, Jaliyah Green and Diona Reed complete the 2021-22 squad.
 
2021-22 Schedule
The Redhawks will play a 30-game schedule with 16 matchups at the Show Me Center during the 2021-22 season.
 
Southeast Missouri played 11 non-conference games to commence the season.
 
The Redhawks 2021-22 schedule also includes 18 Ohio Valley Conference matchups, playing each conference institution twice.
 
2020-21 Season Recap
SEMO finished with an overall record of 15-11 and posted a 13-7 conference mark in 2020-21. The Redhawks qualified for their sixth-straight OVC Tournament as the #3 seed this past season.
 
2020-21 All-OVC performers LaTrese Saine, the 2020-21 OVC Defensive Player of the Year, and Tesia Thompson graduated this past May.
 
Looking Ahead
SEMO next returns home to the Show Me Center to conclude the 2021-22 regular season. The Redhawks host UT Martin Thursday, Feb. 24 in SEMO's annual Pink Game to promote Breast Cancer Awareness. SEMO then takes on Murray State Saturday, Feb. 26 for Senior Day. Game times are set for 5 p.m., CT and 2 p.m., respectively. 
 
The Redhawks will recognize seniors Taelour Pruitt, Deanay Watson and Johné Stewart on Senior Day, Saturday, Feb. 26.