Game 2
Southeast Missouri (0-1) at #4 Texas (0-0)
 
Game Information: 
Date: Sunday, November 10
Time: 2:00 P.M., CT. 
Location: Austin, Texas
Venue: Moody Center
Series: Texas leads 1-0
 
Head Coaches: 
SEMO: Briley Palmer (0-1, First Season)
Texas: Vic Schaefer (109-32, Four Seasons)
 
Follow the Redhawks:
X: @OfficialSEMOWBB
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Watch: SEC Network +
Listen: SEMO ESPN 93.5 FM or 1220 AM (Rusty Hendricks)
 
Game Notes (PDF)
Media Guide (PDF)
 
Women's Basketball on Road at #4 Texas Sunday Afternoon
Southeast Missouri Women's Basketball (0-1) will head to Austin, Texas to take on nationally ranked #4 Texas (0-0) on Sunday, November 10, at 2:00 p.m., CT. Tip-off will take place inside the Moody Center on Sunday afternoon. 
 
Series History 
The Redhawks and Longhorns will meet for the second time in the programs' history on Sunday with the first meeting coming back in 2021. Texas won the matchup on November 17, 2021, by a final score of 88-47 and lead the series 1-0. 
 
Highest Ranked Opponent
Texas will open their 2024-25 campaign ranked at #4 in both the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Coaches and AP Poll(s) as the matchup with SEMO is the first game of their season. This game will mark the highest ranked team that the Redhawks have faced off with in program history. During the 2020-21 season, SEMO hosted #5 Louisville in Cape Girardeau resulting in a 74-53 loss.  
 
The SEC
The Redhawks have faced off with members of the Southeastern Conference 24 times with Sunday marking the 25^th matchup with a team from the SEC. Texas is in its first season in the conference after reaching the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament last season. SEMO is a combined 1-23 against the conference with their lone win coming against Missouri (not in SEC at the time) back in 1998. 
 
Season-Opener
The Redhawks opened the 2024-25 campaign with a 75-70 loss at Dayton on Tuesday night in a game in which the Redhawks led by six points with just over five minutes to go in the game. 
 
SEMO, in their first year under Head Coach Briley Palmer, outshot the Flyers by a 43.3 to 42.9-percent advantage led by freshman guard Zoe Best. Best dropped in 25 points on 9-of-16 shooting, recorded seven rebounds, and a team-high four steals. 
 
Junior guard Kennedy Claybrooks finished with 12 points as she was the only other Redhawk in double figures. Claybrooks, who transferred from Texas State, played 31 minutes on Tuesday night grabbing three boards, and dished out a team-best seven assists. 
 
Redhawk Debutants
With 12 newcomers on the 2024-25 roster, nine Redhawks made their debut in a Southeast Missouri uniform. Center Ainaya Williams, forward Briah Hampton, and guards Zoe Best, Jariyah Williamson, Brianna Hill, Lexi McCully, Brianna Hill, Anjelicia Del Valle, and Skylar Barnes played in the opener. 
 
Returners
Guards Indiya Bowen and Sophie Bussard, the only two returnees from a season ago, featured in the starting lineup for the Redhawks on Tuesday night. Bowen played 19 minutes while Bussard played in 37-of-40 minutes. Bowen finished with seven points and grabbed four rebounds. Bussard chipped in six points and grabbed a team high nine rebounds in the contest. 
 
In the Post
Center Ainaya Williams had a major impact in the paint for the Redhawks in the season opener. The 6-1 freshman from St. Louis, Missouri played in 26 minutes in her collegiate debut registering eight points. She grabbed three rebounds, blocked a pair of shots, and recorded a steal as well. 
 
Familiarity
Senior guard Lexi McCully came off the bench on Tuesday night, played 28 minutes in her Division I debut. McCully, who played two season for Briley Palmer at Mineral Area College, chipped in eight points of her own on 4-of-14 shooting. 
 
Charity Stripe
The Redhawks finished the game with an 87.5 percentage at the free throw line on Tuesday night. The Redhawks shot 7-for-8 for the game, including going a perfect 6-for-6 in the second half. Dayton shot 27 free throws, 19 more than the Redhawks, but finished 17-for-27 (63%). 
 
Zoe Best
Freshman Zoe Best had a fantastic start to her collegiate career. Best played in 39-of-40 minutes on Tuesday night and shot an impressive 9-for-16 from the field (56%), including 4-for-6 from three-point range (66%). She was also a perfect 3-for-3 at the free throw line as she scored 25 points in the first game. 
 
Scouting the Opponent
Texas
The Longhorns are led by fifth year head coach Vic Schaefer and are coming off a 33-5 overall record in 2023-24, winning the Big 12 Conference Tournament and making a run to the Elite Eight. The 33 wins were the second most wins in a season and the most since the 1985-86 season (34-0). 
 
The Longhorns return eight players from a season ago, including four starters, while bringing in five newcomers to the 2024-25 squad. Sophomore Madison Booker is among the best in Division I Women's Basketball. Booker landed on the Preseason AP All-American List, Preseason First Team All-SEC, and is on both the Naismith Trophy and Wooden Award Watch List(s). 
 
Booker was the Big 12 Player of the Year as a freshman, and was the only freshman in Big 12 WBB history to win the award.