Game #22
Southeast Missouri (9-12, 4-6 OVC)
vs. Little Rock (12-9, 9-1 OVC)
Game Information
Date: Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023
Tip-off: 5:00 p.m., CT
Location: Cape Girardeau, Mo.      
Arena: Show-Me Center
Series: Little Rock leads 3-2
Last Meeting: Little Rock won 65-45 | Jan. 7, 2023 | Little Rock, Ark. 
Head Coaches: Rekha Patterson (110-119, Eighth Season at SEMO);
Joe Foley (845-304, 36^th season; 389-223, 20^th season at LR)
 
Follow The Game:
Video: ESPN+
Radio: SEMO ESPN (Erik Sean)
Live Stats: StatBroadcast 
 
2022-23 WBB Stats
 
Redhawks on Social Media:
Twitter: @officialSEMOWBB
Instagram: officialSEMOWBB
 
Redhawks Welcome in Little Rock For First OVC-Matchup in Cape Girardeau
Southeast Missouri (9-12, 4-6 OVC) will host one of the newest members in the Ohio Valley Conference, Little Rock (12-9, 9-1 OVC), on Thursday, February 2, 2023, at the Show-Me Center in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Tip-off is set for 5 p.m., CT. 
 
Series History 
Thursday's meeting will be the sixth matchup between the two schools and just the second-overall Ohio Valley matchup between the Redhawks and Trojans. 
 
Little Rock currently holds a 3-2 advantage in the series having won the previous match up, earlier this season in Arkansas by a final score of 65-45. 
 
The last time that SEMO hosted LR, the Redhawks prevailed with a 57-45 win. Hall of Fame coach Joe Foley is looking for his first career victory in Cape Girardeau. 
 
Scouting the Opponent
Trojans
Little Rock comes into the matchup sporting a near-perfect 9-1 OVC record and a 12-9 record overall. Led by Coach Joe Foley (845-304 in 36 years of coaching), Little Rock most recently defeated Tennessee Tech in Cookeville, Tenn. by a final score of 66-63. 
 
LR has won nine-out-of-its last 10 games with their only loss coming to league-leading Eastern Illinois (1/14) in a low-scoring affair, 33-44. 
 
The Trojans are headlined by their defense which has caused frustration amongst most of the league. A suffocating style of defense, LR has allowed just three players from their schedule to tally five or more assists in a single game. 
 
Offensively, LR is led by Sali Kourouma who is currently ranked 11^th in the country with a PER (Player Efficiency Rating) of 39.3 which leads the OVC. She is currently averaging 18.3 points per game which is the highest mark amongst the Trojans. 
 
Kourouma is also highest on the team in three-point field-goal percentage, sitting at .269 for the season. 
 
On the glass, LR is led by Jaiyah Harris-Smith who has cleaned up a total of 136 rebounds thus far. With 103 defensive and 33 offensive, Harris-Smith is currently averaging 5.2 rebounds per game. 
 
Last Time Out
Jaliyah Green scored 15 points and had six rebounds and Kennedi Watkinsadded 14 points as Southeast Missouri (9-12, 4-6) dropped a close 63-57 decision to Ohio Valley Conference leader Eastern Illinois (18-3, 10-0) Saturday at Lantz Arena.
 
In a tight game that featured five ties and nine lead changes, EIU didn't get away from the Redhawks until the final seven minutes of play.
 
Neither team led by more than five points until Watkins scored four and Green had two to get SEMO its largest lead at 49-43 nearly three minutes into the fourth quarter.
 
EIU then trimmed the Redhawks lead to two on a pair of free throws by Taris Thornton. Thornton was fouled again and split her next two free throws to make it a 49-48 game with 5:08 on the clock.
 
Thornton scored another basket and her surge keyed a 13-0 run as EIU pulled away. The Panthers outscored SEMO, 20-8, in the final 7:05 and outscored SEMO, 20-9, at the free throw line with 8-of-10 of those coming in the fourth quarter. 
 
Green (5) and Watkins (4) combined for nine of SEMO's first 13 points as the Redhawks held a one-point edge (13-12) following the first quarter.
 
After Kiyley Flowers hit two free throws out of a media timeout to cut EIU's lead to 24-23 with 3:41 remaining in the second quarter, the Lariah Washington made six-straight free throws to get the Panthers a 30-26 advantage.
 
Flowers again buried two free throws cutting EIU's lead to 30-28 with 1:15 to go and SEMO used two more free throws, this time by Alecia Doyle, to get within a point, 31-30, at the intermission.
 
EIU (11) and SEMO (8) combined to shoot 19 free throws in the first half. The Redhawks made a perfect 8-of-8 at the charity stripe in the opening 20 minutes of play.
 
Watkins scored in the paint to regain a 36-35 lead for SEMO early in the third quarter. Shortly after that, Flowers drove to the basket and scored off the glass to push the Redhawks lead to three before Washington buried a three to tie the game at 38-38 with 5:22 left.
 
Watkins broke the deadlock when she scored on a fast break and tacked on two more points in the paint to extend the Redhawks lead to 42-38.
 
Miah Monahan's baseline jumper tied things up at 43-43 at the end of three quarters.
 
Green shot 6-of-14 from the field and made 2-of-2 free throws, while Watkins went 7-of-14 from the floor. Rahmena Henderson rounded out SEMO's trio of double-digit scorers with 12 points. Sophie Bussard pulled down eight rebounds, as well.
 
Washington, who hit 11-of-12 free throws, finished with a game-high 25 points. 
 
EIU shot just 14.3 percent (3-of-21) from 3-point range and had 17 turnovers which led to 20 SEMO points. The Panthers kept their winning streak alive at 10 games.
 
Where We Rank

• Southeast Missouri ranks 7th overall in the OVC scoring 59.7 points per game as a team. 
• SEMO ranks 5^th in the conference in three-point field-goal percentage at 30.4%. 
• Kennedi Watkins is the Redhawks' leading scorer amongst the conference with a 9.4 PPG average. She ranks 19^th overall in the conference. 
• Watkins also stands at 11^th overall in the blocked shots category. Watkins has swatted 14 shots in 21 games for a 0.8 block per game average. 
• Kiyley Flowers is 2^nd in the Ohio Valley with 53 steals and trails only Veronica Charles (Morehead State) who has 69 steals in four extra games. Flowers is averaging three steals per game. 
• Flowers also comes into Thursday's matchup ranked 8^th in the conference for assists. Flowers averages 3.0 assists per game and has dished out 54 of them over 18 games. 

 
Looking Ahead
SEMO will follow Thursday's matchup on Saturday afternoon for a showdown with Tennessee Tech in Cookeville, Tenn. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m., CT.