Game #29
Southeast Missouri (14-14, 9-8 OVC)
Vs. SIUE (8-20, 7-10 OVC)
Game Information
Date: Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023
Tip-off: 1:00 p.m., CT. 
Location: Edwardsville, Ill. 
Arena: First Community Arena
Series: SEMO leads 29-20
Last Meeting: SIUE won 76-61 | Dec. 31, 2022 | Cape Girardeau, Mo. 
Head Coaches: Rekha Patterson (115-121, Eighth Season at SEMO);
Samantha Quigley Smith (21-47, Second Season at SIUE)
 
Follow The Game
Video: ESPN+  
Radio: SEMO Radio (Rusty Hendricks)
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
 
2022-23 WBB Stats
 
Redhawks on Social Media:
Twitter: @officalSEMOWBB
Instagram: officalSEMOWBB
 
Redhakws Conclude 2022-23 Regular Season Saturday at SIUE
Southeast Missouri (14-14, 9-8 OVC) will put their five-game winning streak on the line Saturday, February 25, to conclude the 2022-23 regular season against SIUE (8-20, 7-10 OVC) in Edwardsville, Ill. At the First Community Arena. Tip-off is slated for 1 p.m., CT. 
 
Ready To Dance
With the Redhawks victory on Thursday night over Lindenwood, SEMO clinched a 2023 Ohio Valley Conference Tournament berth wrapping up the fourth seed following SIUE's loss to Little Rock. 
 
The Redhawks will await the winner of Wednesday, March 1, matchup between the #5 & #8 seed (TBA) and will play on Thursday, March 2, at 1 p.m., CT. at the Ford Center in Evansville, Ind. 
 
Series History
Saturday's contest will mark the second time that these two have faced off this season, but the first matchup of 2023 as SIUE took the first matchup by a final score of 76-61 on New Year's Eve in Cape Girardeau, Mo. 
 
SEMO maintains a 29-20 advantage in the series all-time with the Cougars following the first matchup. 
 
Scouting the Opponent
Cougars
SIUE comes into Saturday's matchup following a loss against OVC-leader Little Rock Thursday night (2/23) in Edwardsville. The Cougars dropped the contest by a final score of 61-38 led by forward Ajulu Thatha's 14 points and 11 rebounds. 
 
The Cougars were down 14 points midway through the second quarter, but closed the half on an 8-2 run to trail just 28-20 at halftime. SIUE shot just 8-of-30 from the field in the first half, thanks in large part to Little Rock's stifling defense. 
 
SIUE began the second half on a 6-2 run before Little Rock would take control of the game late in the third quarter with a 10-2 and 5-0 run to conclude the quarter with a 13-point advantage as the Cougars fell short Thursday night. 
 
Thatha leads all SIUE scorers with 374 points on the season, for a 13.4 points per game average, followed by guard Sofie Lowis with 11.5 points per game (321 points). 
 
Guard Molly Sheehan is the Cougars' best three-point shooter, shooting just over 35-percent from deep on the season (.355) with 39 makes on 110 attempts. Lowis leads SIUE in three-point attempts with just under seven per game (6.8) and a 25-percent clip from behind-the-arc. 
 
Cougars guard KK Rodriguez is the top facilitator at just under three assists per game (2.8) and has dished out 68 dimes on the season, followed by Lowis with 58 (2.1 APG). 
 
Last Time Out
Southeast Missouri (14-14, 9-8) claimed the #4 seed in next week's Ohio Valley Conference Tournament with a 67-62 win over Lindenwood (2-22, 1-15) Thursday night at Hyland Arena.
 
SEMO is heading to the eight-team OVC Tournament for the seventh time in eight years under Head Coach Rekha Patterson. The Redhawks will face the winner of the #5 and #8 seeds in the quarterfinals on Mar. 2. Tip is set for 1 p.m., CT at the Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana. The remainder of the tournament seeding will be determined after Saturday's action.
 
Sophie Bussard and Jaliyah Green each scored 18 points, and Kennedi Watkins added 12 leading SEMO to its fifth-straight victory.
 
The Redhawks held their largest lead of the night when they were up, 48-35, with five minutes left to play in the third quarter.
 
LU managed to cut SEMO's lead to two (53-51) to tightening things up on Mary McGrath's free throws with 7:30 to go.
 
Bussard answered with a layup and Jaliyah Green followed with two free throws to get the Redhawks a six-point advantage.
 
After a Makayla Wallace layup made it a one-point game at 57-56 with 3:42 left, Green and Watkins each scored layups of their own. 
 
SEMO then made six free throws in the final 35 seconds to put its 14th win of the season on ice.
 
The Redhawks held a 38-32 halftime lead before running their led to double figures in the third quarter.
 
Bussard made a near-perfect 7-of-8 field goals and 4-of-6 free throws, while Green shot 8-of-12 at the free throw line to go along with her five field goals. Watkins paved the way with eight rebounds and shot 5-of-12 from the floor. Meanwhile, Kiyley Flowers dished out seven assists.
 
SEMO shot 46.3 percent (25-of-54) from the field and made 15-of-25 free throws. The Redhawks forced 21 turnovers, as well.
 
Where We Rank

• Jaliyah Green, on a five-game double digit point streak, has moved all the way to 18^th overall in the OVC for scoring. Green is averaging 10.1 points per game and is tied with Tia Harvey (Little Rock). 
• Kennedi Watkins ranks 20^th in the conference for rebouds. The Sophomore from Ballwin, Mo. is averaging 4.7 boards per game, and has hauled in 131 rebounds on the season. 
• Kiyley Flowers ranks sixth in the assist category for the OVC with 85 assists on the season (3.4 APG)
• Flowers remains in second place in steals at just under 3 steals per game (2.9). Flowers has 73 steals on the season and trails only Veronica Charles of Morehead State (87). 
• Halle Smith and Kennedi Watkins rank 13^th and 12^th, respectively, for blocked shots on the season. Both players have 18 blocked shots on the season for just under a block per game (0.6).