Game 7
Southeast Missouri (1-5) vs. Arkansas (5-5)
 
Game Information: 
Date: Sunday, December 8
Time: 2:00 p.m., CT. 
Location: Fayetteville, Ark. 
Venue: Bud Walton Arena
Series: UA leads 1-0
 
Head Coaches: 
SEMO: Briley Palmer (1-5, First Season)
Arkansas: Mike Neighbors (125-82, Sixth Season)
 
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)
 
Redhawks Set for Matchup at Arkansas Sunday
Southeast Missouri Women's Basketball (1-5) will hit the road for a matchup with Southeastern Conference member Arkansas (5-5) on Sunday, December 8 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m., CT. at Bud Walton Arena. 
 
Series History
The Redhawks and Razorbacks will meet for just the second time in women's basketball and just the first time since 2013. The two last met on November 29, 2013, in the New Mexico Tournament in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The Hogs won the lone matchup in the series by a final score of 88-37. 
 
Vs. SEC
Sunday's matchup marks the second Southeastern Conference opponent for the Redhawks in 2024-25 with the first coming in the second game of the season against #4 Texas on November 10. SEMO is currently 0-1 on the season against SEC teams and will look for their second win of the season on Sunday. 
 
Last Time Out
Freshman center Ainaya Williams turned in a 12-point, 11 rebound double-double last Saturday in a 68-65 loss to Indiana State at the Show Me Center. The Redhawks led 65-60 with just over a minute left to go in regulation before an 8-0 run by the Sycamores sealed the deal for the visitors. SEMO outshot Indiana State from the field by a 43.3 to 37.5 advantage as four Redhawks finished in double figures. SEMO struggled at the free throw line in Saturday's contest as the Sycamores went to the line 28 (22-28) times to just nine for SEMO (4-9). 
 
Newcomer of the Week
Junior guard Kennedy Claybroks of Southeast Missouri Women's Basketball picked up an Ohio Valley Conference Newcomer of the Week award, the league announced Tuesday morning. 
 
The Memphis, Tennessee-native, Claybrooks recorded a career-high 19 points in the season's first win on Monday, November 25 against Southern Illinois. In the 70-58 victory over the Salukis, Kennedy was an impressive 7-for-8 from the field (.875) and a perfect 1.000 from three-point range (2-2). 
 
This week, Claybrooks averaged 14.0 points-per-game (28.0), and hauled in 6.5 rebounds-per-game (13) over the past two games. Including Saturday's contest against Indiana State, Claybrooks dished out 10 assists over the week as she averaged 5.0 assists-per-game from her point guard position. She finished the week 9-13 from the field (.692), 4-6 from behind-the-arc (.667), and 6-10 from the charity stripe (.600). On the defensive end, Kennedy recorded three steals over the two-games for a 1.5 steals-per-game mark. The award is the first of the season for Claybrooks, and she is the second Redhawk to win a weekly award this season (Best).
 
Double-Double
Center Ainaya Williams finished with the first double-double of the season on Saturday evening against Indiana State. The St. Louis, Missouri-native scored 12 points and collected a season-high 11 rebounds in the contest. This season, she is averaging 7.7 points-per-game and 4.0 rebounds-per-game. In the last three games, Williams is coming off the bench for SEMO and is averaging 9.3 PPG. 
 
Team Offense
Southeast Missouri is currently ranked seventh in the Ohio Valley Conference in scoring at a 61.3 points-per-game mark trailing league-leading Western Illinois (75.0 PPG). From the field, SEMO is shooting 38.5-percent and is currently ranked seventh as a team as well. Freshman Zoe Best leads the team in scoring with 12.8 PPG. 
 
Everyday Hustle
Senior guard Lexi McCully has started the last five games, after coming off the bench in the season-opener. In the last five, McCully has averaged 11.8 points-per-game including a season-high 18 points against Southern Illinois (11/25). Since being in the starting lineup, Lexi has scored in double figures in 3-of-5 games and is currently on a two-game double digit streak. 
 
Two-in-a-Row
Redshirt sophomore Briah Hampton made her first start of the season on November 25 against Southern Illinois. She has now started in two-straight games after being the starting lineup on Saturday against Indiana State. Hampton, who recorded just two points in the first three games of the season, has averaged 6.0 points-per-game in the last two and has played over 35-minutes in the two games. She grabbed a season-high six rebounds against SIU. 
 
Not in Her Paint
Center Ainaya Williams has dominated the paint for the Redhawks on the defensive end of the floor, averaging 2.3 blocks-per-game. She has recorded 14 blocks on the season and ranks first in the Ohio Valley Conference in blocked shots in just six games. In the last three seasons, the most blocked shots in a season was 22 as Williams is on her way to having the most blocked shots in a season in the last three years. 
 
Pass It
Kennedy Claybrooks, the reigning OVC Newcomer of the Week, ranks second in the league in assists with 29 on the season. She is averaging 4.8 assists-per-game just 0.1 behind the league leader (Katie Novik, Morehead State) at 4.9. She recorded a season-high seven assists in the season opening game at Dayton (11/5). 
 
Scouting Arkansas
The Razorbacks welcome SEMO into the Bud Walton Arena with a 5-5 record after picking a 75-64 win over Boston College (6-4) on Thursday night.
 
Senior guard Izzy Higginbottom paced the Razorbacks with a career-high 38 points with a career-high 14 made field goals. The Hogs took over on both ends of the ball and outscored the Eagles 25-11 in the final period.
 
Higginbottom leads the offense with 24.1 points per game ranking seventh in all of college hoops with clips of .467 from the floor and .321 from behind the arc. The senior has hauled in 40 rebounds and dished out 44 assists, ranking 29th in the NCAA.
 
Kiki Smith has been a reliable second option on offense for the hogs averaging 14 points and has totaled 26 assists.
 
The defense is led by Jenna Lawrence who has pulled in 76 rebounds while sending back 15 shots. The sophomore forward has stolen the rock seven times and is shooting 84.6% from the line and 35.4% from the field.
 
Overall Arkansas scores 72.5 points per game. 10.8 assists per game, and 37.3 rebounds per game with marks of .408 from the floor, .323 from three-point land, and .777 from the charity stripe.
 
Head coach Mike Neighbors has guided his Hogs to the best six-year period of sustained success in program history with 125 wins and five postseason qualifications in that time.