Game 19
Southeast Missouri (4-14, 2-7 OVC) at Western Illinois (9-9, 3-6 OVC) 
 
Game Information
Date: Saturday, January 25, 2025
Time: 1:00 p.m., CT. 
Location: Macomb, Illinois
Venue: Western Hall
Series: SEMO leads 9-8
 
Head Coaches: 
SEMO: Briley Palmer (4-14, 2-7 OVC | First Season)
WIU: JD Gravina (207-202, 12-15 OVC | 14^th Season)
 
Follow the Redhawks
X: @OfficialSEMOWBB
Live Stats: goleathernecks.com
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: Real Rock 99.3 FM (Erik Sean)
 
Game Notes (PDF)
Media Guide (PDF) 
 
Redhawks Wrap-Up Road Swing Saturday at Western Illinois
Southeast Missouri Women's Basketball (4-14, 2-7 OVC) will wrap-up this three game road stretch on Saturday, January 25, 2025, against Western Illinois (9-9, 3-6 OVC) from Western Hall in Macomb, Illinois. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m., CT. 
 
Series History
This series dates all the way back to 1983 in the first meeting between the Redhawks and Leathernecks. The Redhawks won the very first meeting by a final score of 78-64 on January 2, 1983, and since then, SEMO holds a 9-8 overall record. The two teams have faced each other just two times as OVC members beginning in 2024. SEMO & WIU each failed to defend their home court as both road teams snatched victory during the 2023-24 campaign. 
 
Last Time Out
The Redhawks fell to Lindenwood by a final score of 84-76 in St. Charles, Mo. on Thursday night behind a career-high night from Lexi McCully. McCully finished with 22 points on 8-17 shooting, including a 4-7 day from three-point range. Zoe Best (16), Indiya Bowen (13), Skylar Barnes (11), and Ainaya Williams (12) all finished in double figures on Thursday night. Williams narrowly missed a double-double, finishing with a team-high nine rebounds. 
 
As a team, SEMO shot 44.1-percent from the field (26-59), 40-percent from three (10-25), and 70-percent from the charity stripe (14-20).
 
League Table
Saturday's matchup is a big contest for the lower half of the table as both the Leathernecks and Redhawks are battling for the top eight spots in the OVC. The Redhawks (2-7 OVC) trail WIU (3-6 OVC) by just one game and currently sit tied for eighth with Morehead State (2-7 OVC). WIU sits alone in seventh place behind UT Martin (4-5) in sixth). A four-way tie for second place includes Southern Indiana, Tennessee Tech, Lindenwood, and Little Rock who are all 7-2 in league play. Eastern Illinois sits atop the conference with a 9-0 mark. 
 
Career-High 
Senior guard Lexi McCully has put together back-to-back career-high games beginning with 21 points last Thursday against Tennessee Tech. She surpassed her previous best on Thursday night with 22 points against Lindenwood. Since returning to the starting lineup over the last two games, McCully is averaging 21.5 PPG and nearly 38 minutes-per-game. 
 
Five in Double Figures
Thursday's game saw five Redhawks finish with double digit points for the first time all season. Lexi McCully, Zoe Best, Indiya Bowen, Ainaya Williams, and Skylar Barnes all recorded 10+ points against Lindenwood. 
 
Leading Rebounders
Freshmen Zoe Best and Ainaya Williams lead the Redhawks in rebounding through 18 games in 2024-25. Best has hauled in 87 rebounds in 18 games this season, while Williams has 65 in 15 games. Best is averaging 4.8 RPG while Williams is just behind her with 4.3 RPG. Williams now has back-to-back games with nine rebounds after Thursday's game where she led the team on the glass. 
 
Getting Going
Center Ainaya Williams has been a solid force over the last five games for the Redhawks after making her fifth-straight start on Thursday night. Over the last five, Williams is averaging 13.0 PPG and 6 RPG. She narrowly missed back-to-back games with a double-double after recording nine rebounds and scoring 10+ points in each game. She has also recorded at least one block in 13-of-15 games, recording a season-high five blocks against Southern Illinois (11/25). 
 
Six in a Row
Skylar Barnes has been one of the most consistent scorers for the Redhawks offense as she has recorded double-digits in six-straight games. Barnes has also scored north of 10 points in seven-of-the-last-eight games. She is averaging 14.0 PPG over the last six games, including a 21-point performance against Southern Indiana (1/9). On the season, Barnes has scored 142 points and averages 9.5 PPG. 
 
Scouting Western Illinois
The Leathernecks come into this matchup with a record of 10-7 and a 3-6 OVC record. WIU is led by long-time head coach JD Gravina
 
The offense is led by Raegan McCowan who averages 20.8 points per game and leads the OVC in scoring. McCowan holds the OVC single game high for scoring this season with 35 points. Overall, the team averages 69.9 points per game.
 
McCowan also leads the Leathernecks rebounding efforts, ranking 3rd in the OVC with 140 rebounds, 7.8 per game. WIU is proficient on the defensive glass, ranking 2nd in defensive rebounding in the conference. 
 
The Leathernecks play strong defense against the three pointer, allowing an opponent three-point percentage of just 27.4%. On top of that, WIU allows the second lowest field goal percentage in the OVC with just 38%.