Game 8 
Missouri State (5-3, 0-0 MVC) vs. Southeast Missouri State (1-6, 0-0 OVC)
 
Game Information: 
Date: Monday, December 16
Time: 11:00 A.M. 
Location: Cape Girardeau, Mo. 
Venue: Show Me Center
Series: MSU leads 13-2
 
Head Coaches
SEMO: Briley Palmer (1-6, First season)
MSU: Beth Cunningham (48-25, Third season)
 
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Game Notes (PDF)
Media Guide (PDF)
 
Redhawks Host In-State Foe, Missouri State, Monday Morning
Southeast Missouri Women's Basketball (1-6, 0-0 OVC) will take on Missouri Valley Conference member and in-state foe Missouri State (5-3, 0-0 MVC) on Monday, December 16. Tip-off is set for 11 a.m., CT. at the Show Me Center. 
 
Series History
The Redhawks and Bears will meet for the 16^th time on Monday morning with the visitors holding a 13-2 series advantage. A season ago, SEMO traveled to Springfield to take on MSU falling by a final score of 74-66. The Redhawks' last win in the series came back on November 14, 2008, as SEMO won 67-64 in Cape Girardeau. 
 
Classroom on the Court
Monday's contest is SEMO Athletics annual 'Classroom on the Court' Day as nearly 2,000 students from the Southeast Missouri area elementary, middle, and high schools will attend the game on Monday morning. 
 
Last Time Out
The Redhawks were last in action on Sunday, December 8, when they faced Southeastern Conference member Arkansas. SEMO fell by a final score of 84-45 on Sunday afternoon in Fayetteville behind 13 points from Zoe Best. Best led SEMO in scoring on 5-of-12 shooting (.416) and an impressive .500 from three (3-6). SEMO led by 10 at the end of the first quarter, but from there it was all Arkansas as the Razorbacks found the hot hand for the remaining three quarters. 
 
Savvy Veteran
Graduate student Sophie Bussard was all over the stat sheet on Sunday afternoon after making her return to the court having previously missed some time due to injury. Bussard dropped in a season-high 12 points against Arkansas as she was 5-for-8 from the floor, and 2-of-3 from three-point range. Bussard hauled in three rebounds, dished out two assists, and played 30-minutes in her second game back. 
 
Get Blocked
Freshman Ainaya Williams has registered a block in every single game so far this season, bringing her total to 15 blocks after Sunday's contest. Williams, who made her first start on Sunday after coming off the bench the last three, ranks first in the Ohio Valley Conference in blocks-per-game with a 2.14 average. That number ranks her 29^th in the country for that category. Her 15 total blocks rank her second in the OVC, trailing only Anna Walker of Tennessee Tech who has 18. 
 
Scoring Offense
Southeast Missouri comes into the contest ranked seventh in the OVC in team offense. The Redhawks, through seven games, are averaging 59.0 points-per-game. SEMO has scored a total of 413 points on the season, including a season-best 70 points in two separate games (at Dayton, 11/5; vs. Southern Illinois, 11/25).
 
Opponents Struggle
So far in 2024-25, the Redhawks have allowed 197 total free throw attempts to their opponents. However, SEMO ranks first in the Ohio Valley Conference in opponent free throw percentage as teams have made just 147 free throws. Opponents are 147-197 at the charity stripe against SEMO with a .746 team-percentage overall. 
 
Trey Ball
The Redhawks have found success from behind the three-point line so far this season. Within the OVC, SEMO ranks fourth in team three-point percentage, and three-point shots made. As a team, the Redhawks are shooting 42-131 from deep for a .321-percentage. Over seven games, SEMO's 42 three-point makes equates to 6.0 makes per game. 
 
Best
Southeast Missouri is led in scoring by Zoe Best who averages 13 points-per-game, scoring 90 points collectively so far this season. Best ranks ninth in the conference in scoring, trailing leader Raegan McCowan of Western Illinois (20.0 PPG). In 240 minutes, Best has made 34 baskets, 16 three pointers, and six free throws on the season. 
 
Guards on the Glass
The Redhawks' backcourt of Kennedy Claybrooks and Zoe Best lead the team in rebounds with 35 and 32, respectively. Claybrooks is averaging 5.0 rebounds-per-game and ranks 20^th in the OVC. Best averages 4.6 RPG after hauling in four against Arkansas on Sunday. 
 
Scouting Missouri State
The Bears come to town coming off a 62-50 win over Wyoming. The Bears currently have a 5-3 record with their four other wins coming against Gonzaga, Saint Louis, Wichita State, and Tulsa. 
 
Against Wyoming, senior Sarah Linthacum and sophomore Kaemyn Bekemeier both posted double digit scoring numbers. Linthacum recorded 14 points, five rebounds, and one assist and Bekemeier recorded 15 points, eight rebounds, and two steals.
 
The Bears shot 42.6% from the field and 33.3% from the deep. Missouri's State's defense held Wyoming to two 3-pointers only making two out of their 20 attempts.
 
Linthacum and Bekemeier are two of four Bears to average double digit points per game on the season so far. Linthacum averages 10.9 PPG and leads the team in rebounds with 45 and Bekemeier is shooting 50% from behind the arc going 11 for 22 while averaging 10.0 points.
 
Guards Lacy Stokes and Kyrah Daniels are the other two Bears with double digit point averages. Stokes leads the team in points (12.9 per game), assists (4.1 per game), and steals with 18 total.
 
Missouri State is scoring 70.5 points per game compared to their opponents 70.4. The Bears on clips of .419 from the field (.466 opponents), .374 from 3-point land (.305 opponents), and .624 from the charity stripe (.699 opponents). 
 
The Bears are averaging 38.1 rebounds per game, out rebounding their opponents by six rebounds per game. They have totaled 114 assist, 62 steals, and 13 blocks on the young season. 
 
Beth Cunningham is in her third year at the helm of the women's program. Last season, Cunningham led the Bears to a 23-10 overall record and an appearance in the Missouri Valley Conference championship game. In her first season at Missouri State, the Bears recorded a 20-12 overall record.