Game #12
Southeast Missouri (3-8, 0-0 OVC)
Vs. Southern Indiana (5-5, 0-0 OVC)
Game Information
Date: Friday, December 29
Tip-off: 5:15 p.m., CT. 
Location: Cape Girardeau, Mo.       
Arena: Show Me Center
Series: SEMO leads 12-2
Last Meeting: SEMO won 63-59 | February 18, 2023, | Cape Girardeau, Mo.      
Head Coaches: Rekha Patterson (120-130, Ninth Season at SEMO);
Rick Stein (428-259, 25th season)
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: SEMO ESPN Radio (Erik Sean)

Game Notes (PDF)
 
Redhawks Open Ohio Valley Conference Play Friday Night Against Southern Indiana
Southeast Missouri Women's Basketball (3-8, 0-0 OVC) will commence the 2023-24 Ohio Valley Conference portion of the schedule on Friday, Dec. 29, as they host Southern Indiana (5-5, 0-0 OVC) in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Tip-off is slated for 5:15 p.m., CT. at the Show-Me Center. 
 
Series History
Last season marked the first time USI and SEMO squared-off as conference foes as the Screaming Eagles joined the OVC a season ago. The Redhawks and Screaming Eagles spilt the season series with each team winning in their respective homes. 
 
In 2022, SEMO opened OVC play with USI in Evansville, Ind. and fell 68-54. The Redhawks would get a big win later in conference play, downing USI 63-59 in Cape Girardeau to extend a three-game winning streak to four. 
 
SEMO holds a 12-2 mark in the series all time as they will meet USI for the 15^th time on Friday night. 
 
Non-Conference Recap
Southeast Missouri enters conference play with a 3-8 non-conference record and during a one-game winning streak after downing Evansville, 74-44, last Thursday to conclude non-conference play. 
 
The Redhawks were a near-perfect 3-1 at home to begin the season. Wins over Stephens College (11/11), Harris-Stowe (11/28), and Evansville (12/21) accounted for all three of SEMO's victories in 2023-24. SEMO was an impressive 11-3 at home last season. 


SEMO dropped just one game at home against Eastern Kentucky on December 19, losing the contest 57-48. 
 
The Redhawks faced a tough opening schedule facing five teams from the Missouri Valley Conference, Two BIG 10 opponents and an SEC opponent over the months of November and December. 

SEMO 2022-23 OVC Play
Last season, the Redhawks started OVC play on a four-game losing streak before picking up their first conference victory against Lindenwood (68-45). 
 
The victory sparked a three-game winning streak to propel the Redhawks forward who finished on an impressive six-game winning streak to conclude the regular season. 
 
The only two teams to sweep the Redhawks a season ago was Little Rock and Tennessee Tech as every other opponent failed to beat SEMO twice. 
 
SEMO swept both Tennessee State and Lindenwood. 
 
The Redhawks earned a four-seed in the 2023 OVC Tournament and made it to the tournament's semifinal round before losing 49-35 to Little Rock. 
 
Last Time Out
The Redhawks dominated Evansville (2-9) on Thursday afternoon by a final score of 74-44 to conclude the non-conference portion of their schedule led by freshman guard Daejah Richmond.
 
Richmond finished with a team-high 14 points and a career-high seven assists as she was the catalyst for the Redhawks offense. 
 
As a team, SEMO was much improved from the floor as they finished 30-of-65 from the field (46.2%) and a near-perfect 13-15 from the free throw line. Three Redhawks were perfect from the charity stripe in Indiya Bowen, Jaliyah Green, and Amiyah Buchanan. 
 
SEMO was all over the defensive end of the floor, forcing Evansville into 26 turnovers and converting them into 26 points. The Redhawks also got out and ran in transition as they converted those turnovers into 20 points on the fast break. 
 
SEMO controlled the paint, scoring 50 of their 74 points in the paint and outrebounded the Purple Aces by a 39-35 margin. Daejah Richmond was the leading rebounder for the Redhawks with six.
 
The Redhawks dominated the fourth quarter and closed the game on a 6-0 run over the final 3:41 of game time to snap a four-game losing skid and conclude non-conference play with a 74-44 victory on Thursday afternoon.

Scouting The Opponent
Southern Indiana
The Screaming Eagles come into the game with a 5-5 record, with a 86-37 win over Brescia University in their last contest.
 
USI shot 57.7% (30-52) from the field and 11-22 from behind the arc during the contest.
 
Four players reached double digits in the game, the most coming from senior forward Meredith Raley (22). Raley shot 7-8 from the floor and hauled in five rebounds while notching two steals.
 
Vanessa Shafford scored 12 points on a 71.4% shooting clip. The junior guard leads the team in points per game and rebounds with 13.9 PPG and 67 total rebounds.
 
Shafford is active on defense as well, posting three steals against Brescia bringing her total to 18 on the year.
 
Chloe Gannon put five through the hoop and went three of three at the stripe for 13 total points in their last game.
 
The Screaming Eagles are 260-615 (.423) from the floor, 72-210 (.343) from three-point land and 86-121 (.711) from the charity stripe and average 67.8 points per game.
 
Head Coach Rick Stein is in the middle of his 25th season at USI guiding them to 12 wins last year.
 
Looking Ahead
The Redhawks will continue OVC play on Sunday, Dec. 31, when Morehead State comes to the Show-Me Center. Tip-off is set for 1:15 p.m. in Cape Girardeau.