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Then-ranked #23 Southeast Missouri began its undefeated home record in Ohio Valley Conference play with a thrilling 43-37 double overtime victory over Tennessee Tech on Oct. 5, 2019.
Kristian Wilkerson broke SEMO's all-time career record in receiving yardage as the Redhawks scored their most points in a conference game all season.
Wilkerson led the team with 1,350 yards and 10 touchdowns in 13 starts, and finished his outstanding career with 3,540 receiving yards. He surpassed Willie Ponder (2,543 yards, 2001-02) for the school's new career record.
The game began with three turnovers between the two teams in the first 1:23 of play.
Deadlocked at 30-30 following a 51-yard field goal by TTU's Haidar Zaidan, the Golden Eagles later pulled ahead on a 3-yard touchdown pass from Bailey Fisher to Andrew Goldsmith during the first possession of overtime.
SEMO answered with a 16-yard touchdown run to force a second overtime period.
After TTU elected to go on defense, Zion Custis broke free for a 13-yard game-winning touchdown run.
The Redhawk defense, which was strong the entire game, came up with a huge stop to polish off SEMO's first conference win.
Ryan Ochoa dropped Fisher for a loss of three yards on the first play of TTU's final drive. Fisher then threw three-straight incomplete passes after that and the Redhawks prevailed.
Wilkerson caught five passes for 124 yards and Custis racked up 117 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries, going over 100 yards for the first time in his career.
Derrick Calhoun notched a career-high 12 tackles and forced a fumble.
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Southeast Missouri women's volleyball capped off its non-conference slate with a huge tournament victory at the Memphis Beale Street Challenge which propelled the Redhawks into Ohio Valley Conference play.
Southeast dropped only two sets over the two-day tournament Sept. 20-21 to wrap up non-conference play with a pair of tournament championships in 2019, a four-match win streak and an 8-6 mark. SEMO had previously won two non-conference tournaments in 2012.
"Our non-conference schedule challenged us to be resilient and every time we faltered, we would respond," head coach Julie Yankus said. "We did not perform as we anticipated at our first tournament of the season and rather than throw in the towel or find excuses, the team got back in the gym and welcomed the challenges we gave them. The result of that hard work was winning our home tournament. Then we had another tough week, but we continued to be focused and determined. I believe our final week of non-conference play really set the tone for our conference schedule. We went 4-0 on the road in our final week of non-conference play with big wins over Saint Louis and Memphis. That final week of non-conference play gave our team the confidence and fortitude we needed to be successful in our OVC matches."
The Redhawks overcame Toledo of the Mid-American Conference, 3-1 (25-22, 17-25, 25-23, 25-20), before sweeping North Alabama in the opening day, 25-10, 25-12, 25-23.
Southeast then captured the Beale Street Challenge Championship when it handed tournament host Memphis (11-1 non-conference) of the American Athletic Conference its first loss in 2019, 25-21, 25-27, 25-18, 25-13. The victory was SEMO's first over the Tigers in Memphis since Aug. 29, 2009. Entering the match, Memphis, was one of five unbeaten NCAA Division I programs with Baylor, California, Hawaii and Pittsburgh.
"The win over Memphis was absolutely a pivotal moment for our season," Yankus said of the victory. "They were one of only five undefeated teams remaining in the country at the time we beat them. It was an intense and challenging match but we stayed focused and resilient throughout the match. We relied on a balanced offense and tough defense to win that match. That wound up being our style of play all season long."
Claire Ochs, the 2019 OVC Tournament MVP, was named the Beale Street Challenge MVP. The sophomore setter from Chesterfield, Missouri, finished the Challenge with 118 assists after passing out 44 at Memphis with 12 digs and five kills. Ochs opened the tournament with a season-best 48 assists against Toledo.
Mikayla Kuhlmann and Maggie Adams were also both named to their first career all-tournament teams.
Kuhlmann, a 2019 OVC All-Tournament Team selection, led the Redhawks in Memphis with 34 total kills including a season-high 18 (.471) against Toledo.
Adams who was named to the 2019 First Team All-OVC posted nine kills on a .429 hitting clip in the final Challenge match while finishing the tournament with 21 kills and six total blocks.
Southeast benefited from a really balanced attack against Memphis as Kuhlmann and Laney Malloy each had 13 kills. Annie Wehrheim added 11 kills on a .333 hitting clip with five blocks and Talia Gouard had a career-best eight kills (.538) and six blocks.
Tara Beilsmith led the SEMO defense with 18 digs and finished the tournament with 45. Ally Dion added 15 digs against Memphis.
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Maddie Keller and Carli Knott placed in the top-10 to earn All-Ohio Valley Conference honors as the Southeast Missouri women's cross country team finished fourth (109 points) in the 5K at the 2019 OVC Cross Country Championships on Nov. 2, 2019.
Keller, a sophomore from Troy, Illinois, placed fifth overall in the 5K, crossing the finish line in a personal-best 17:57.3 for First-Team All-OVC laurels. Keller's finish is the best Redhawk women's finish at the Championship since Rebekah Lawson was the runner-up at the 2013 Championship in Morehead, Kentucky. The award also marked the first career All-OVC honor for Keller.
Knott, a Jackson, Missouri native, garnered her second career Second-Team All-OVC accolade with a 10thplace finish in 18:16.9
"Carli and Maddie were exceptional this school year, as both athletes and leaders," head coach Ryan Lane said..
Knott and Keller were the top-two finishers for the Redhawks at each of the four races prior to the Championship. The duo was third and fourth at the season-opening Saluki Invite (8/30/19) before taking second and third at the Bradley Intercollegiate (9/20/19).
The duo also placed in the top-15 at Missouri's Gans Creek Classic (9/27/19) and in the top-20 at the Bradley 'Pink' Classic (10/18/19). Knott posted the third-best 6K time (21:25.6, 11th, PR) in the OVC at the Bradley 'Pink Classic' and was recognized as OVC Female Co-Runner of the Week after her Bradley Intercollegiate performance.
Keller registered a top-100 finish at the 2019 NCAA Division I Midwest Region Cross Country Championship (11/15/19) held at the Oklahoma State University Cross Country Course as the Southeast men and women each placed 27th. Keller posted a time of 22:16.8 for 78th out of a field of 235 at her first career Regional. Knott completed the women's 6K in 22:46.9 for 114th.
"With both of them back to lead the women's team next fall, we have high expectations of another top finish in the conference as a team in 2020, as we have been in the top four every year since 2013," Lane said of Keller and Knott. "Our core is back, with four of our top five returning. With major progress by Katie Wegmann and Hannah Eastman during the indoor [track & field] season we believe we have the strongest returning top four in the OVC."
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Freshman Hailey Block's first two career goals gave Southeast Missouri a dramatic 2-1 double overtime victory over SIU Edwardsville on Oct. 3, 2019.
With the game deadlocked at 1-1, Block kicked the ball into the left corner of the net off a nice cross from Jennifer Brien at the right side of the box. The win kept SEMO at the top of the OVC standings.
The Redhawks and Cougars were scoreless through 65 minutes of play before Block scored her first goal of the season to get her team a 1-0 advantage. She scored that goal on a header off a Emily Holten pass across the box.
Courtney Benning sent the game to overtime with just 12 seconds on the clock when she scored from the left side of the box to cap the final seconds of regulation.
That win ignited a 6-0-1 stretch for SEMO in its final seven games of the regular season.
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Southeast Missouri had four takeaways and scored 14 fourth-quarter points to stun #14 Jacksonville State on Oct. 19, 2019.
SEMO beat JSU in Jacksonville for the first time in its NCAA Division I history. The Redhawks defeated the Gamecocks in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1963 and 1964. And, with the win, the Redhawk seniors became the all-time winningest senior class in program history.
"A win like this means everything for our program as the seniors left their legacy becoming the winningest class in program history," said SEMO head coach
Tom Matukewicz. "Defensively, that was as good of performance as I've ever been around."
The Redhawks wrecked JSU's 32-game winning streak in regular-season home games, a year after ending the Gamecocks 36-game winning streak in OVC contests.
SEMO's senior class recorded its 19th win since the 2016 campaign and surpassed the 2010 class' total of 18 victories. The Redhawks gave Matukewicz his program-best sixth win over a ranked opponent, as well.
Tied, 7-7, at halftime,
Kendrick Tiller kicked a 24-yard field goal to put SEMO ahead with 8:44 left to play in the third quarter. Tiller's field goal came after
Justin Swift jarred the ball loose when he sacked Zerrick Cooper and
Bryson Donnellrecovered at the JSU-12.
On a day where it was tough to throw the football, the rain subsided enough for
Daniel Santacaterina to throw a pair of touchdown passes in the fourth quarter.
After SEMO's defense held on fourth down, the Redhawks took over on downs at their own 25-yard line. Immediately following a false start penalty, Santacaterina completed an 80-yard touchdown pass to
Kristian Wilkerson.
Wilkerson's 29th career receiving touchdown tied a school record and widened the Redhawks lead to 17-7 with 4:21 to go in the fourth quarter. The 80-yard play tied SEMO's fourth longest reception in school history.
JSU answered on its ensuing drive by covering 79 yards in 10 plays and scoring on an 8-yard touchdown pass from Cooper to Jamari Hester in just under two minutes.
SEMO, however, delivered the dagger when
Aaron Alston caught a 38-yard pass from Santacaterina, broke multiple tackles and plowed his way into the end zone at the 1:47 mark. Alston's touchdown gave the Redhawks a 24-14 advantage.
Neither team scored for the first 28:53 of play.
SEMO, which had 19 yards on its first 18 plays offensively, overshadowed that with outstanding defense forcing two turnovers and a fourth-down stop.
On JSU's first drive,
Zach Hall dropped Jaelen Greene for no gain on a fourth-and-1 at the SEMO 27-yard line.
Following a SEMO punt,
Ryan Ochoa forced a fumble when he hit Cooper.
DJ Freeman recovered at the 50-yard line, but nothing came of the turnover.
The Redhawks registered their next takeaway in the second quarter when
Bydarrius Knighten intercepted Cooper's pass in SEMO's end zone on a fourth-and-11.
SEMO, after punting on six-straight drives, scored the game's first points with 1:07 remaining in the first half.
Santacaterina threw a 22-yard pass downfield to
Eric Williams for a first down at the JSU-25. Three plays later, Santacaterina tossed a 15-yard touchdown pass to Wilkerson to put SEMO ahead 7-0.
JSU responded with a 7-play, 72-yard march in a quick minute to tie the game. Cooper plunged forward for a 2-yard touchdown and Bryant Wallace followed with the PAT as time expired bringing the score to 7-7 at the half.
Santacaterina completed 12-of-28 passes for 220 yards and three touchdowns. He went over 4,000 passing yards in his Redhawk career.
Wilkerson added 129 yards and two touchdowns on three catches.
Defensively, Swift finished with a game-high 12 tackles, a sack, 2.5 tackles for loss, one forced fumble and a breakup to lead SEMO. As a team, the Redhawks recorded a season-high five sacks.
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Southeast Missouri women's volleyball picked up a huge road sweep of preseason Ohio Valley Conference favorite and leader Murray State, 25-23, 25-20, 25-18, in the second week of league play on Oct. 5, 2019 to improve its early OVC mark to 3-1.
The win was the first for the Redhawks over Murray State, the defending 2018 OVC Tournament Champions, in Murray, Kentucky, since Oct. 12, 2013 and capped a 2-0 weekend for Southeast.
"We knew that weekend would be a huge test for us," head coach Julie Yankus said of the early conference road victories at Murray State and Austin Peay in 2019. "They are two tough teams who we have to face at least twice a year. There is definitely an added emotional and competitive component when it comes to the teams on our side of the conference. This weekend was a huge confidence builder for our team. We knew we had a ton of potential and it was so rewarding to experience the success of this weekend."
The day prior, SEMO prevailed over Austin Peay, the 2017 OVC Tournament and Regular-Season Champions, 3-2 (25-21, 29-27, 20-25, 27-29, 15-13), with a program-record 23 blocks for Southeast's first victory over the Governors since Sept. 26, 2015 and first in Clarksville, Tennessee, since Oct. 7, 2011.
"The Austin Peay match was a complete seesaw of a match," Yankus said of the weekend road opener. "After handling the first two sets, the win was so close to becoming a reality. But Austin Peay has a great program and they would not give up. Some of our confidence wavered as the Governors fought back, but our team responded. I was so proud of how we fought in that fifth set. We made some aggressive plays that paid off and we played to win. Once again, the team demonstrated their perseverance and resilience. I still remember the feeling in the locker room after that win. We took that excitement and confidence to Murray State the next day. We were on a mission that day. I love going back and watching that match. The team was all business. They were determined, focused, and out to make a statement."
Laney Malloy led the Redhawks offense with 12 kills in the sweep of Murray State. Mikayla Kuhlmann added 11 and Annie Wehrheim chipped in 9.
Setter Claire Ochs dished out 30 assists and had a double-double with 10 digs. Tara Beilsmith led the defense with 20 digs and Emily Boggetto had seven.
The Redhawks out blocked the Racers 11-3. Maggie Adams tallied seven blocks after posting a career-high 11 at APSU. Ochs and Krista Berns each had four against Murray State.
Southeast hit a match-high .500 in the second set and committed no errors during the middle frame. SEMO utilized a pair of 4-0 runs in their efficient second set to pull ahead 16-10 and then 20-16 down the stretch.
The Redhawks concluded the match with a .357 mark in the third set to finish with a .314 match clip.
Adams and Ochs each earned OVC Volleyball Player of the Week honors for their performances on the road trip. Adams was tabbed OVC Defensive Player of the Week and Ochs was named OVC Co-Setter of the Week.
After that weekend road trip to Clarksville, Tennessee, and Murray, Kentucky, Southeast would win 12 of its next 15 matches en route to the 2019 OVC Tournament Championship.
"This was absolutely a pivotal weekend for our season," Yankus said. "I have said repeatedly that in order to succeed, you need to be confident. But in order to be confident, you need to experience success. It's the classic chicken and egg conundrum. And while these women worked so hard on building mental toughness and team chemistry, they needed to experience success. And they absolutely earned it. They earned it every day they came in early, every time they did an extra workout, every time they evaluated more film, and every time they made the effort to make a teammate feel special."
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Southeast Missouri's men's and women's cross country teams both earned All-Academic recognition for the 2019 season from the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). The SEMO women registered a 3.62 GPA and the men posted a 3.41 during the 2019 campaign.
"We take a lot of pride in being a high-academic program, both men and women," head coach Ryan Lane said. "The number of student-athletes in our program over the years that have succeeded in school as well as cross country/track & field has been the biggest point of pride, even over athletic accomplishments. These student-athletes study difficult degrees and professional school tracks, with many of our student-athletes becoming nurses, doctors, successful MBA executives, lawyers, teachers, and so much more. Academically self-motivated student-athletes tend to be athletically self-motivated as well, so we work to recruit and coach that culture as we build our teams."
SEMO was one of five Ohio Valley Conference institutions to have both its men's and women's teams honored. Belmont, Eastern Illinois, Murray State and SIUE all each earned the distinction.
Nationally, the USTFCCCA honored 428 teams at the Division I level. To qualify teams had to have a cumulative 3.00 GPA or greater on a 4.0 scale. Overall, 191 men's teams and 237 women's teams received All-Academic honors in NCAA Division I.
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Daniel Santacaterina threw for 215 yards and three touchdowns, including two in the fourth quarter to lead #13 Southeast Missouri to a 31-24 win over rival Murray State on Nov. 23, 2019.
Santacaterina broke SEMO's all-time career record in passing touchdowns as the Redhawks won a piece of the 2019 Ohio Valley Conference title. The OVC crown was SEMO's second in program history and first in nine years.
"Words can't describe the feeling, emotion and happiness the 2019 season brought us," said head coach
Tom Matukewicz. "This team made plays and found ways. I'm so proud of our team and senior class."
The Redhawks trailed, 24-17, before going on their fourth-quarter assault to cut down the Racers.
Zack Smith was on the receiving end of Santacaterina's touchdown passes in the final period. The first was a 17-yard reception on a perfectly placed throw in between defenders on a third-and-long. That play tied the game at 24-24 just five seconds into the fourth quarter.
After SEMO's defense stopped MSU on a fourth-and-2, the Redhawks marched 51 yards in seven plays and completed that drive with the go-ahead touchdown on a 6-yard pass from Santacaterina to Smith with just under nine minutes left (8:57).
Then, the Redhawks defense disrupted any MSU momentum the rest of the way by making several huge plays.
Clarence Thornton dropped TJ Warren for a loss when the Racers faked a punt. Later on,
Lawrence Johnson broke up a pass on a fourth-and-18.
Lastly, after SEMO came up short on a fourth-and-1,
Bydarrius Knighten broke up a Preston Rice pass on a fourth-and-5 to nail down the Redhawks win.
The first half featured a 31-point second quarter as MSU led 24-17 at the intermission.
MSU was ahead, 10-3, following a 26-yard field goal by Zaden Webber with 11:33 remaining in the second quarter.
SEMO answered with a 7-yard touchdown pass from
Santacaterina to
Kristian Wilkerson on an eight-play, 94-yard drive to tie the game at 10-10.
On the Racers next possession,
Zach Hall picked off Preston Rice and ran 61 yards for a touchdown to give the Redhawks their first lead at 17-10 at the 7:37 mark. Hall's 61-yard interception return tied the eighth-longest in school history.
MSU responded with back-to-back touchdowns to grab the lead at halftime.
Rice completed a 3-yard touchdown pass to LaMartez Brooks with 5:28 to go and later tossed a 28-yard touchdown pass to Armani Hayes in the final minute of the first half.
MSU, which entered the day with the lowest scoring offense in OVC play (16.4 ppg), surpassed that average in the first 30 minutes of the game.
SEMO's defense, which gave up 286 total yards in the first half, allowed only 114 yards and shutout MSU in the final 30 minutes.
Santacaterina completed 29-of-39 passes, while Wilkerson caught 11 passes for 95 yards and a touchdown. Smith added five catches for 27 yards and two scores.
Zion Custis and
Mark Robinson ran the ball well helping the Redhawks gain 148 yards on the ground. Custis carried the ball 15 times for 86 yards and Robinson picked up 55 yards on 12 attempts.
Defensively,
Zach Hall led the Redhawks with 10 tackles, an interception and one pass breakup. Knighten and Swift followed with nine and eight tackles, respectively.
Video Highlights
Exactly three hours and 15 minutes after the Southeast Missouri football team claimed a share of the Ohio Valley Conference regular-season title, the No. 2-seeded Redhawk volleyball team won the 2019 OVC Tournament Championship with a sweep of Morehead State on Nov. 23, 2019 in Jacksonville, Alabama.
The volleyball team won SEMO's second title on the same day with a 26-24, 25-19, 28-26 victory over the Eagles. The Redhawks picked up their sixth OVC Tournament crown in school history and first since 2000. SEMO also earned the league's automatic berth to the 2019 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship where it faced #9 Kentucky in the first round.
"Winning the OVC Championship was an experience that I will never forget," head coach Julie Yankus said. "The work put in for this Championship officially began in January (2019), but for so many of these athletes it began years before that. This group of women worked especially hard to put the team above themselves and to improve their mental toughness. Our staff worked so hard as well, putting in extra hours when needed, showing up for the athletes when called upon, and continuously learning to be better in their roles. The team and the staff should wear their Championship rings proudly as a display of their hard work and dedication."
Laney Malloy, Mikayla Kuhlmann and Claire Ochs were each named to the 2019 OVC All-Tournament Team. Ochs was selected as the tournament MVP. The trio were the first Redhawks awarded OVC All-Tournament Team honors since Colleen Yarber garnered the distinction in 2012.
The Redhawks opened the three-day tournament hosted by top-seeded Jacksonville State with a 3-1 (25-11, 21-25, 25-18, 28-26) victory over #7 Tennessee Tech in the quarterfinals. The win marked the first for SEMO at the OVC Volleyball Tournament since 2012.
"TTU beat us earlier in the year so we knew they would be tough," Yankus said about the first round matchup. "Our goal was to serve them aggressively to get them out of system but they handled our serving very well. We had to respond and find other ways to challenge them."
Kuhlmann led the SEMO offense with 13 kills against the Golden Eagles. Malloy added a double-double outing of 11 kills and had 14 digs. Ochs finished with a double-double of 43 assists and 13 digs. Tara Beilsmith paced the SEMO defense with 16 digs.
In the semifinals, Southeast outlasted #3 Murray State in a five-set thriller (25-20, 14-25, 25-22, 20-25, 21-19) to advance to the finals for the first time since 2006 which coincidentally was also held in Jacksonville, Alabama.
"As we prepared to face Murray State in the semifinals, we knew that would be an emotional and competitive matchup," Yankus said. "We used our balanced offense, tough serving, and dynamic blocking efforts to win that match. That semifinal match was probably the most emotional, competitive, and intense match of the entire season. I knew that getting past that match gave us the confidence and determination needed for the championship."
Kuhlmann topped the Redhawks attack with 14 kills. Malloy finished with a double-double of 13 kills and 12 digs. Maggie Adams added 10 kills with nine total blocks. Ochs directed the offense with 43 assists and 13 digs for the double-double outing. Beilsmith concluded the match with 28 digs and two assists.
In the Championship against #4 Morehead State, Malloy led the offense with her third-straight double-double (16 kills and 10 digs) at the tournament. Kuhlmann posted 12 kills and Ochs dished out 32 assists. Beilsmith added a match-high 18 digs on the defensive end.
"Morehead State had a very stout and successful team so we knew the Championship match would be another battle," Yankus said. "Morehead had a very solid offense but luckily we had a very solid defense. There didn't seem to be an easy set, or easy point, the entire tournament."
The Redhawks opened the match with a 7-1 lead in the first set that grew to 14-6 after kills from Malloy and Ochs along with an Eagles attack error. Malloy had eight kills alone in the opening frame as SEMO grabbed the frame with rally stoppers by Wehrheim and Malloy with the set knotted at 24-24.
Both the second and third sets were highly competitive and featured ties of 13 and 17, respectively. The Championship Final match totaled 36 ties and 13 lead changes.
Southeast connected at a .400 rate in the second set and finished the match with a .274 compared to Morehead State's .221.
Down a point in the second stanza, 18-17, the Redhawks used a 7-0 run for set point, 24-18. Kuhlmann had three of her six second-set kills during that stretch. Kuhlmann then blasted a rally stopper to clinch the set after an Eagles kill.
In the third set, Annie Wehrheim registered a kill before teaming up for a block assist with Krista Berns to make the score, 15-13. The Redhawks and Eagles exchanged the lead before a pair of kills by Morehead State knotted the set at 24-24 and 25-25.
Malloy then slammed a winner to push the advantage in favor of SEMO, 26-25, before the Golden Eagles retied the set. Malloy paced SEMO in the final set with five rally stoppers. The Redhawks then captured its first tournament championship since 2000 with consecutive errors by Morehead State.
The win was Southeast's 11th, 3-0 sweep in 2019 and second over Morehead State during the campaign.
The Redhawks will look to build upon their 2019 OVC Tournament Championship and utilize this experience this upcoming fall. All-OVC honorees Adams, Malloy, Ochs and Beilsmith each return for the 2020 campaign.
"The future of SEMO Volleyball is very bright," said Yankus. "Our graduating seniors all played large roles on the 2019 Championship Team and we will miss them dearly. But we return 12 OVC Champions from last year's team, including all four of our All-OVC performers from the 2019 season. All of the returners now know what it takes to win a title and they will be able to instill our culture and those expectations to our newcomers."
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The #12 Southeast Missouri football team hosted #13 Illinois State in the first round of the NCAA Division I Football Championship on Nov. 30, 2019.
For the first time in program history SEMO made back-to-back FCS Playoff appearances. The FCS Playoff berth also marked the Redhawks third of all-time (2010, 2018, 2019).
The Redhawks entered the 24-team bracket as an at-large selection joining Ohio Valley Conference automatic qualifier Austin Peay.
SEMO was seeded in the NCAA Division I Football Championship a week after it beat Murray State, 31-24, to earn a share of the OVC title.
The 2019 season was the seventh year with an expanded 24-team playoff field. In 2010 the FCS Playoffs expanded from 16 teams to 20 teams, the first expansion since the field grew from 12 to 16 teams in 1997. The OVC has placed multiple teams in the playoffs (which began in 1978) in 23 of the 42 years; the OVC has now had multiple teams in the field in seven of the last 10 and nine of the last 14 years.
North Dakota State was the 2019 FCS National Champion after beating James Madison. The Bison won the national title for the eighth time in the last nine years.
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Southeast Missouri knocked off Southeastern Conference member Ole Miss, 70-53, on Dec. 14, 2019 at The Pavilion in Oxford, Mississippi. The big non-conference win seized early momentum for the Redhawks before their 18-game Ohio Valley Conference slate.
SEMO recorded its first road victory over an SEC opponent in program history. The victory was the Redhawks second against a SEC foe and first since they beat Missouri, 90-71, at home on Nov. 24, 1998.
Tesia Thompson scored a game-high 16 points and went over 1,000 in her career at SEMO.
Thompson led four SEMO starters in double figures. She became the 10th member of the Redhawks 1,000-point club.
The Redhawks led for all but 47 seconds of the game in a dominating effort.
SEMO won each of the first three quarters and took its largest lead (51-25) on Thompson's fast break layup with 5:23 remaining in the third period. Thompson officially recorded her 1,000th career point a little over three minutes into the contest.
The Redhawks held a 35-25 advantage at halftime and used a 21-point third quarter to blow the game open.
SEMO outscored Ole Miss, 34-20, in the paint and scored 20 points off 22 Rebel turnovers.
Thompson shot 8-of-19 from the field and pulled down nine rebounds. She also dished out two assists and had a pair of steals.
Carrie Shephard and Taelour Pruitt followed with 14 points each. Shephard buried four 3-pointers bringing her career total to 101 threes made at this point.
Jessie Harshberger contributed 11 points as the Redhawks shot 44.9 percent (31-of-69) from the floor, including a 56.3 percent clip in the third quarter.
SEMO improved to 6-0 when leading at halftime and remained unbeaten in games with Thompson, Shephard, Pruitt, Denisha Gardener and Harshberger as its starters.
The Redhawks finished non-conference play at 11-3.
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Chris Harris buried the game-winning 3-pointer with 27 seconds left to give Southeast Missouri its first win of the season with a 79-78 victory over Purdue Fort Wayne on Nov. 10, 2019.
Harris finished with 16 points in the first of only two games he played due to an early season-ending injury.
SEMO trailed, 78-75, with 1:17 remaining when
Sage Tolbert split two free throws to make it a two-point game with less than a minute to go.
After a timeout, Harris quickly buried his 3-pointer off a pass from
Isaiah Gable to put the Redhawks ahead by a point.
SEMO's defense came up huge getting two stops in final seconds to hang on for the win. Purdue Fort Wayne's Matt Holba missed a 3-pointer, Jarred Godfrey grabbed the rebound and Brian Patrick took one final shot for the Mastodons, but missed a layup.
SEMO forced 15 turnovers and scored 20 points off those miscues.
The Redhawks held a 15-point advantage (51-36) with 16:39 remaining before Purdue Fort Wayne went on a 37-21 run to take the lead. Godfrey made two free throws to give the Mastodons a 73-72 edge at the 2:53 mark.
Following a turnover, Marcus DeBerry drained a 3-pointer at the top of the arc to make it a two-possession (76-72) contest.
Alex Caldwell answered with a huge 3-pointer of his own to pull SEMO within one setting up the exciting finish.
Tied, 29-29, in the first half, SEMO went on an 11-0 run to take double-digit lead (40-29). Nine of those 11 points came at the free throw line. Harris capped the surge with his two free throws with 1:35 left before the Redhawks headed into the locker room up, 40-32.
Both SEMO and Purdue Fort Wayne put four of their starters in double figures.
Harris led the Redhawks with double figures in the scoring column for the second time this season and scored all 31 of his points off the bench in two games.
Caldwell followed with 12 points, while
Quatarrius Wilson and Tolbert narrowly missed double-doubles with 11 points and eight rebounds apiece.
Skyler Hogan added 11 points, as well
SEMO shot 44.6 percent (25-of-56) from the field and outscored, Purdue Fort Wayne, 21-16, at the free throw line. Defensively, the Redhawks held the Mastodons to 40.6 percent (26-of-64).
Purdue Fort Wayne made 10-of-31 three-pointers for a 32.3 percent clip.
Brian Patrick led the Mastodons with a double-double 24 points and 12 rebounds. Holba contributed 17 points and nine boards, while DeBerry and Dylan Carl pitched in 12 and 11, respectively.
The Redhawks won their fourth-straight home-opener and improved to 23-6 all-time in home-openers since it joined the NCAA Division I ranks in 1991-92.
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A trio of Redhawks were awarded Ohio Valley Conference Athlete of the Year honors at the conclusion of the 2020 OVC Indoor Track & Field Championship on Feb. 27, 2020.
Nick Bryant was named the OVC Male Freshman of the Year while Kaitlyn Shea was awarded OVC Female Track Athlete of the Year. Anya Tonga was also tabbed the OVC Female Field Athlete of the Year for the second-straight season.
Bryant is the first Redhawk to earn the award since Chris Martin in 2014. Southeast last swept the OVC Female Athlete of the Year laurels in 2005 when Brooke Woodruff (Track) and Kathy Coleman (Field) captured the distinction.
"It is a huge honor for our track & field program and we are really proud of all three of them as they each had a great indoor season," head coach Eric Crumpecker said.
Bryant won Gold in the 400 meters in the second day of the Championship after he was clocked at a personal-best 47.89 in the second and final heat. He also secured Bronze in the 4x400 meter relay (3:16.61).
"I was excited for him to be able to put together a solid race and he now knows what that feels like," assistant coach Danielle Burbage said. "It's all about that feeling! You have to feel it first in order to be able to do it over and over."
Bryant was selected as the OVC Co-Male Track Athlete of the Week on Feb. 19, after he took first in the 400 meters at the Hoosier Hills Invite in 48.47. The freshman from Memphis, Tennessee, led the conference in the event in 2020 and finished in the top-five 11 times with five first-place finishes.
"Nick Bryant had a tremendous freshman campaign and was able to cap it off by winning the 400 meters at the OVC Championship," Crumpecker added. "Winning a conference championship as a freshman is not easy to do and I cannot wait to see what he does over the next three years."
Shea grabbed Silver in the 5,000 meters (16:59.85) in the opening day of the Championship before finishing fourth in the 3,000 meters (9:54.77) and sixth in the mile with a personal-best mark of 4:57.11.
"I'm so proud and excited for Kaitlyn," commented assistant coach Ryan Lane. "She has worked incredibly hard and persevered through a difficult, six-month long, illness a few years back. When many people would have given up, Kaitlyn returned stronger and tougher and put together one of the most special seasons of any female distance runner in SEMO's history."
Shea, a senior from Jefferson City, Missouri, broke a pair of SEMO indoor records in a three week span ahead of the Championship. She led the conference in the 5,000 meters (16:59.70) and 3,000 meters (9:32.79) after setting the Redhawks indoor record in both events in Bloomington, Indiana, at the Indiana University Relays (2/1) and Hoosier Hills (2/14).
"Kaitlyn Shea had a monster indoor season and established herself as one of the best distance runners in SEMO history," Crumpecker said. "She broke the 5,000 meters record by becoming the first SEMO runner to break 17:00 indoor and then shattered the 3,000 meters record by nearly 15 seconds. She had such an incredible season!"
Shea was also named OVC Female Track Athlete of the Week twice and had nine top-five finishes with four individual titles in 2020.
Tonga won her third-straight OVC weight throw title with a personal-best distance of 64-7.25 (19.69m) in the first day of the Championship. She also was sixth in the shot put with 42-1.25 (12.83m) to conclude the meet.
"Anya was able finish her indoor career off by winning her third OVC title in the weight throw with a personal best that almost broke our school record," quoted Crumpecker. "She also moved up into the SEMO All-Time Top 10 list in the shot put. Winning the same event three years in a row is something that does not happen very often and it was great to see her pull it off."
Tonga, a senior from East Palo Alto, California, paced the conference in weight throw and was third overall for shot put (47-8.5, 14.54m) in 2020. Her weight throw mark is second all-time in Southeast program history and her shot put toss ranks ninth.
Tonga was also named the OVC Female Field Athlete of the Week on Feb. 12 and finished the 2020 season with 14 top-five finishes with four individual titles.
Video Highlights
Southeast Missouri captured its first two wins under head coach
Ashley Lawson during its trip to Alaska on Jan. 10-12, 2020.
"Alaska was a long time coming," head coach
Ashley Lawson said of the successful journey to The Last Frontier. "Winning against Wisconsin-Eau Claire was great and finally getting that first win as a head coach, but winning on Sunday against another Division I program [Alaska Anchorage] was awesome. To see the ladies' faces when it popped up that we won the meet was a sight I will always remember. Our huddle after the meet was inspirational, full of many tears and a lot of hugs."
SEMO finished second in a tri meet with Alaska Anchorage and Wisconsin-Eau Claire on Jan. 10, compiling a team score of 189.500 for its first team win over an opponent in competition since the 2018 Midwest Independent Conference Championships.
Anna Kaziska, the 2020 MIC Gymnast of the Year and USA Gymnastics All-American, captured the vault, beam and all-around titles at Alaska Anchorage's Tri Meet for her first three event titles in 2020. Kaziska matched her career-best beam routine with her third-career mark of 9.875 to earn the crown. She also won the all-around with a total of 38.950 and placed first in the vault with a 9.675.
Dahlia Solorzano-Caruso, a 2020 USAG All-American, was second in the all-around competition (38.650) and was the runner-up on vault with a 9.650.
Molly Maxwell finished fourth in the all-around, totaling 37.600 over the four disciplines.
Two days later, the Redhawks picked up their first dual meet victory since March 9, 2018 when SEMO bested Alaska Anchorage, 191.225-190.825. The dual meet win was also Lawson's first at the helm of her alma mater.
Solorzano-Caruso won her first three career individual titles and etched her name in the Southeast record books at the dual. Solorzano-Caruso captured the vault (9.800), balance beam (9.900) and all-around (39.175) titles in the win over the Seawolves.
In the fourth rotation, the freshman from Courtice, Ontario, Canada, posted a career-best 9.900 on beam which tied for fifth all-time in Southeast program history for the event. Solorzano-Caruso became the 10th Redhawk to post the score with Lauren Israel last earning the mark on Feb. 26, 2016.
Trailing 142.975-142.525 after three rotations, SEMO used a beam mark of 48.700 in the fourth rotation to edge the host Seawolves.
Kaziska finished third in the all-around competition at the dual with a 38.675 and Maxwell totaled 35.775 for fifth.
The Redhawks then returned to the conterminous U.S. for competitions at Illinois State and Ball State before going on a five-meet win streak that included dual victories over ISU, Lindenwood and Northern Illinois of the Mid-American Conference.
"I truly believe this was a pivotal moment in the growth of this team and the success we had follow," Lawson said. "They got their first dose of winning and the feeling that comes with it. They came back in the gym and worked hard each day, and finally started believing they were good."
Video Highlights
On Jan. 11, 2020, Southeast Missouri beat Tennessee State, 83-54, to begin an 11-game winning streak four games into its Ohio Valley Conference season.
SEMO scored 80 or more points in five games during that streak with its largest margin of victory coming by 38 points in an 81-43 win over Austin Peay.
Statistically, the Redhawks held a scoring margin of +17.5 and held their opponents under 60 points (58.7) per game. SEMO also outrebounded its foes by a +11 margin, dished out 19.6 assists, collected 9.6 steals and buried 5.2 three-pointers per contest.
Junior
Tesia Thompson heated up to score over 19 points and added over eight rebounds per contest during the 11-game stretch. The Memphis, Tennessee native added three double-doubles and scored 20 or more points on six occasions.
Carrie Shephard knocked down 32 three-pointers and had a team-high 35 steals. Shephard followed with 16.9 points and 2.9 threes a game.
Thompson, Shephard,
Jessie Harshberger,
Denisha Gardener and
Taelour Pruitt started every game during the winning streak. For the season, the Redhawks were 21-4 with these five starters.
SEMO swept SIU Edwardsville and picked up wins against TSU, APSU, Murray State, Eastern Illinois, Morehead State, Eastern Kentucky, Jacksonville State, Tennessee Tech and UT Martin over its 11-game game winning streak that lasted from Jan. 11 to Feb. 15.
The winning streak was the longest of any team in OVC play throughout the 2019-20 campaign.
Video Highlights
UTM had one last chance with three seconds left, but Sertovic's 3-point attempt came off the front of the rim.
The Skyhawks opened the game with an 11-2 run behind three 3-pointers including two from Parker Stewart.
Miles Thomas made a layup to push the Skyhawks lead to 22-19 with 12:19 remaining in the first half before SEMO battled back to pull within two (35-33) when
Sage Tolbert converted a 3-point play.
UTM responded by scoring the last eight points of the half to take a 43-33 advantage at the intermission.
The Skyhawks heated up to shoot 61 percent (14-of-23) from the field and buried 6-of-9 three-pointers in the opening stanza.
SEMO outscored UTM, 41-29, in the second half en route to getting by the Skyhawks. The Redhawks also made 10 free throws in the final 20 minutes.
Hogan shot 7-of-15 from the field, buried four 3-pointers and grabbed five rebounds. Caldwell scored 10 of his points in the second half. He also dished out a game-high seven assists. Both Hogan and Caldwell played all 40 minutes.
Sage Tolbert chipped in 16 points and nine rebounds, while
Quatarrius Wilson contributed 12 points.
SEMO shot 43.6 percent (24-of-55) from the field and attempted a season-high 29 threes.
Video Highlights
Kaitlyn Shea set a pair of Southeast Missouri indoor track records over a three-week span during the 2020 season. Shea broke the 5,000 meters record on Feb. 1 at the Indiana University Relays before returning to Bloomington, Indiana, to secure the 3,000 meters record at Hoosier Hills Invite on Valentine's Day (Feb. 14).
"Here's what's important to know about Kaitlyn, every time she steps on the line to race, she has the expectation of doing something major," assistant coach
Ryan Lane said. "Regardless of the competition, track, or conditions, she plans to break records and win races. It's not an overconfidence, but a competitiveness and a toughness that is unmatched. And, she does the training and the extra work to be able to have that confidence in her racing."
Shea, the 2020 Ohio Valley Conference Female Track Athlete of the Year, registered her first record of the season in the 5,000 meters during the Indiana Relays at Gladstein Fieldhouse.
Shea won that event in a career-best time of 16:59.70 to capture the SEMO indoor program record. She surpassed
Sydney O'Brien's mark of 17:05.21 set in 2017 and ranks sixth overall (indoor and outdoor) in the SEMO Track & Field record books.
A senior from Jefferson City, Missouri, Shea followed up that performance with a second-place finish in the 3,000 meters at the Hoosier Hills Invite for her second record in 2020.
Shea etched her name in the record books once again with a career-best time of 9:32.79 which overcame Laura Byrne's time of 9:43.15 posted in 1989. Shea ranks third overall for the 3,000 meters (indoor and outdoor) at SEMO.
"Kaitlyn had a terrific season, but we were really just finally starting to hit some bigger accomplishments right as the season ended," added Lane. "We train for the outdoor season, so our expectations were high, but not as high as we had for the (cancelled) outdoor season. Our plan was to drive her 3,000 meters time down as much as possible, as we were wanting to look for her steeplechase time to drop just as much, if not more, and be a national finalist. Not to downplay two school records and an OVC Athlete of the Year accomplishment, but our expectations were that this was just the start of something even bigger. We are fortunate she is returning to use that outdoor season while studying for a Master's degree in Spanish Education at SEMO."
Video Highlights
On the night (Feb. 7, 2020) head coach
Ashley Lawson was inducted into the Southeast Missouri Athletics Hall of Fame, the Redhawks gymnastics team upended Midwest Independent Conference rival Lindenwood by a score of 193.925-193.600.
"That was definitely a night to remember!" Lawson said. "To be inducted into the Hall of Fame was such an awesome accomplishment, but the evening wasn't about me. It was a night that propelled this team into the confidence and trust that they could do whatever and nothing was going to stop them. It was a beautiful thing to watch the sheer joy of the ladies officially coming together. Then, to have the team come support me at the induction was just the icing on the cake."
The dual win over Lindenwood, the five-time defending MIC Champions and 2019 USA Gymnastics National Champion, was the first for the Redhawks since Jan. 31, 2014 (193.900-190.600).
"The week leading up to the meet, we discussed how close we were score-wise in comparison to Lindenwood," said Lawson. "There was lots of muttering going on in the gym that 'we couldn't beat Lindenwood' or 'they're better than us.' So, we redirected the narrative and really relied on our unity to keep our team together and build on each athlete's success. We built on each routine and each rotation. It was definitely a night I'll never forget."
Trailing 48.750-48.300 after the opening rotation, SEMO pulled ahead of the Lions for good after a 48.725 on bars in the second event.
Lindsey Bates set the tone with a career-best 9.825 which was second overall at the dual.
Dahlia Solorzano-Caruso was third at the meet with her second career score of 9.800.
SEMO started its Pink Out Meet with a 48.300 on vault in the first rotation.
Gabrielle Adams finished as the runner-up on the event with a 9.725.
In the third event of the evening, the Redhawks notched a 48.100 on beam.
Anna Kaziska captured the event title with her third 9.875 in 2020 and fifth career-best mark.
SEMO secured the dual victory with a 48.800 on floor in the final rotation of the night. Kaziska paced the Redhawks with a 9.850 for second at the meet.
Lindsey Moffitt finished third overall with a career-high 9.825 and Solorzano-Caruso was fourth, tallying a 9.750.
Kaziska won the all-around competition with her fourth career total of 39.00 or higher (39.150) and Solorzano-Caruso was the runner-up with 38.300.
Southeast edged the Lions on both the vault (48.300-48.000) and floor (48.800-47.800) Friday.
The win was even more special for Lawson who previously served as an assistant at Lindenwood in 2018 under head coach Jen Llewellyn. At Lindenwood, Lawson was named the 2018 MIC Assistant Coach of the Year when the Lions captured their fourth-straight MIC Championship.
The victory over Lindenwood came ahead of Lawson's special Hall of Fame induction.
Lawson (Godwin) was a MIC Champion four times during her career at SEMO, winning the uneven bars in 2002 and the balance beam, floor exercise and all-around in 2003. She was an NCAA Regional qualifier in the all-around each of her final three seasons at Southeast (2002, 2003, 2004). Lawson's highest NCAA Regional finish was an 11th-place showing in 2002.
She holds the bars (9.925), beam (9.975), floor (10.000), and all-around (39.550) records and is one of just three gymnasts in school history to record a perfect 10.0 in an individual event.
In her second season at the helm of her alma mater, Lawson was named the 2020 MIC Head Coach of the Year, USA Gymnastics Ken Anderson Coach of the Year and Women's Collegiate Gymnastics Association Region 4 Coach of the Year.
With the dual victory over Lindenwood at the time, SEMO improved to 2-0 at home with its second straight MIC dual win.
"That was the moment the girls believed they could do big things," Lawson said. "They got hungry for wins and thrived on the feeling of success. It was such a turning point in our continued success and a lot of fun to watch."
Video Highlights
Taelour Pruitt made the game-winning 3-pointer with one second left to send #3 Southeast Missouri to a thrilling 82-81 overtime win over #6 Tennessee Tech in the first round of the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament on Mar. 5, 2020.
In overtime, SEMO went scoreless for a period of 2:21 before Roshala Scott got a big steal and scored on a layup to cut TTU's lead to 80-79 with 15 seconds left.
The Redhawks fouled immediately after TTU took a timeout. Abby Buckner went to the line to shoot two and split a pair of free throws as the Golden Eagles remained ahead, 81-79.
With one final shot and time running out, Pruitt stepped back and nailed her game-winning trifecta to give OVC Coach of the Year Rekha Patterson her first OVC Tournament victory. Patterson was 0-4 in OVC Tournament games prior to today.
The Golden Eagle defense trapped the Redhawks into committing four turnovers in 2:35 early in the third quarter. As a result, TTU went on a 13-2 run to take a 47-41 advantage. The Golden Eagles then managed to win the third quarter, 26-16.
TTU led, 67-57, with 7:49 left to play in regulation when SEMO put together a 12-2 run to tie the game.
Carrie Shephard converted a big 3-point play to pull the Redhawks within two and Jocelyn Taylor scored on a pair of huge second-chance layups, including the one that tied the game at 69-69 with 4:19 in the fourth quarter.
After that, SEMO missed four-straight field goals and went scoreless for over two minutes. TTU was able to build a four-point cushion following a jumper by Mackenzie Coleman and layup by Jordan Brock.
The Redhawks, however, continued to chip away at TTU's lead and tied the game again when Tesia Thompson and Scott hit layups to knot the score at 73-73 with 32 seconds on the clock.
Coming out of a timeout, Coleman launched a 3-pointer that came off the rim and TTU later turned the ball over after grabbing the offensive rebound.
SEMO had one final possession in regulation, but Thompson missed a jumper as time expired sending the game to overtime.
The Redhawks trailed, 37-34, at the half. Thompson scored 15 of her game-high 29 points in the opening stanza. Thompson also had 11 rebounds in the game.
Thompson, a First-Team All-OVC selection, shot 12-of-30 from the field and a perfect 5-of-5 at the free throw line. She also dished out six assists and collected two steals.
Taylor followed with 13 points and five rebounds off the bench.
Pruitt finished with nine points, including six from downtown. Her game-winning shot was later the top play on ESPN.
SEMO beat TTU three times in 2019-20.
Video Highlights
Nick Bryant secured Gold in the 400 meters during the final day of the 2020 Ohio Valley Conference Indoor Track & Field Championship on Feb. 27, 2020.
Bryant finished first in the race with a personal-best 47.89 in the second and final heat.
"I was excited for him to be able to put together a solid race and he now knows what that feels like," assistant coach Danielle Burbage said. "It's all about that feeling! You have to feel it first in order to be able to do it over and over."
The 2020 OVC Male Freshman of the Year from Memphis, Tennessee, Bryant is the first Redhawk to win the event since Jarred Pasley captured Gold in 2016.
Bryant qualified first overall in the 400 meter preliminaries with a mark of 48.11 posted in the first of five heats before coming from behind in the finals.
"Going into conference I knew what Nick was capable of, but it's always a matter of whether an athlete is going to do that or something completely different," added Burbage. "Heading into conference I told him to stick to our game plan with taking the race out from the beginning. As I watched the race, I was somewhat nervous because he didn't get to the break first but as I glanced at my stopwatch he had come through faster than he had ever before so that gave me a slight calm. I knew he was capable of finishing the race strong, but I wasn't sure he was going to do that. As he came down the backstretch of the track with 100 meters to go I just remember running and screaming telling him he had to go now."
Video Highlights
Southeast Missouri's women’s gymnastics team registered its second-highest team score in school history when it beat Mid-American Conference power Northern Illinois on February 28, 2020. The Redhawks won by a score of 195.800-194.775 at the Tennessee Collegiate Classic.
“The team was unified,” head coach Ashley Lawson said. “They were ALL IN and were celebrating all the successes of each other. The atmosphere was amazing, the arena was packed, and knowing there was a bigger purpose we were competing for that night really made these ladies appreciate what so many fans in the crowd wanted, and that’s to be a college gymnast. It was a magical evening for sure. I think a judge said it best, she said, 'NIU didn't lose the meet. SEMO just rose to the occasion!!"
The mark was the highest for a USA Gymnastics school (Division I, II and III programs with less than seven-and-a-half full scholarships) in 2020. SEMO last notched a team score of 195.700 or higher against Air Force in 2009 (3/14) and the top team score in school history was set in 1997 (196.025, 3/14).
SEMO also posted season highs on vault (49.075), bars (49.050) and beam (48.775) in addition to the team score. The vault mark stands first in SEMO program history and surpassed the record set against Seattle Pacific in 1995 (2/18). The bars score is the third highest in the Redhawks record books and the beam score tied for 11th all-time.
Jolie Miller won her first career individual event title with her second career score of 9.700 or higher. In the opening bars rotation, the freshman from Aurora, Colorado, posted a career-best 9.875 in the second SEMO position.
Dahlia Solorzano-Caruso captured the all-around title with a personal-best score of 39.350. The mark tied Lawson (Godwin, 2/21/04) for fifth all-time in Redhawks history.
Solorzano-Caruso, the 2020 USA Gymnastics All-American from Courtice, Ontario, Canada, tallied a pair of personal-best 9.850s on vault and bars before concluding the meet with 9.825s on beam and floor (PR).
Anna Kaziska, the 2020 Midwest Independent Conference Gymnast of the Year and 2020 USA Gymnastics All-American, was second in the all-around competition with 39.100.
SEMO opened the dual with a 49.050 on bars, which ranks third in the school record books ahead of 49.025, compiled in 2014 (Illinois State, 3/9).
Miller led the way with a personal-best 9.875 to win the event. Solorzano-Caruso (9.850) finished second overall and Alana Fischer (9.800) was third at the meet as the pair also added career-highs.
The Redhawks then notched their program-best vault score of 49.075 in the second rotation. SEMO ended the rotation with a pair of career-best 9.850s courtesy of Gabrielle Adams in the leadoff position and Solorzano-Caruso in the anchor position. The scores tied for second overall at the meet.
SEMO danced its way to a 48.900 on floor. Solorzano-Caruso (personal-best) and Kaziska tallied consecutive 9.825s to end the rotation, which tied for second overall at the dual.
SEMO then concluded the dual against the Huskies with a season-high 48.775 on beam, which tied for 11th in the record books. Solorzano-Caruso paced the Redhawks with a 9.825 for third at the meet and Fischer matched a personal-best 9.800 to start the rotation.
The Redhawks competed against Northern Illinois in the Tennessee Collegiate Classic which was hosted by Meet Authority Productions and USAInvitationalGymnastics.com.
Video Highlights
A day after a staggering offensive showcase, #3 Southeast Missouri used a remarkable defensive effort to stomp UT Martin and win the 2020 Ohio Valley Conference Tournament title with a 67-47 victory on Mar. 7, 2020.
SEMO won its second OVC Tournament Championship in program history and first since 2006-07. The Redhawks went undefeated at 3-0 in this year's conference tournament winning each of their final two games by double figures against the tourney's top-two seeds.
The Redhawks, who claimed the league's automatic berth to the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Tournament, were unable to play further into the postseason due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Defensively, SEMO held UTM to only 33.3 percent (18-of-54) from the field and did not give up a 3-pointer to a Skyhawk team which entered the game as the second-most accurate 3-point shooting team in OVC play. The Skyhawks had a 3-pointer in every game this year except this one. They were 0-of-11 from beyond the arc. SEMO also turned UTM over 17 times and scored 15 points off those miscues.
SEMO started strong again and trailed only once in the entire first half.
Tamiah Stanford made a free throw for UTM, which led only 17 seconds in the game.
A second-chance basket by Jessie Harshberger put the Redhawks ahead by five and Roshala Scott later made two free throws to increase SEMO's lead to 14-6 with 3:12 remaining in the first quarter. Thompson's turnaround jumper capped the Redhawks lead at 17-9 at the end of the opening period.
SEMO scored the first six points of the second quarter to stretch its lead to double figures. Denisha Gardener, Carrie Shephard and Thompson all scored in the first 1:14 to give the Redhawks a 23-9 advantage.
The Redhawks led by 14 on two other occasions before heading into halftime with a 32-19 lead.
UTM's top scoring threat, Chelsey Perry missed her first seven field goals of the game, but came alive to score 10 points as UTM edged the Redhawks, 14-12, in the third quarter. Both teams ended the third quarter going scoreless for over three minutes.
Perry narrowed the Redhawks lead to single digits (44-35) with 8:40 left to play, but a steal and layup by Thompson put SEMO back up, 46-35. UTM and SEMO struggled to a combined 1-of-10 effort from the field in the first 3:15 of the fourth quarter.
SEMO then blasted UTM with a 14-2 run to put the exclamation point on its 25th win of the season.
Thompson wrapped up a phenomenal OVC Tournament by scoring a game-high 25 points. She shot 8-of-19 from the field and 9-of-14 at the free throw line. She dished out four assists and two steals, as well.
For the tournament, Thompson averaged 31 points per game over SEMO's three wins. She had a double-double in two of those three starts. Thompson claimed the tournament's Most Valuable Player award.
Shephard and Harshberger followed with 13 points apiece.
Shephard and Taelour Pruitt joined Thompson on the OVC All-Tournament Team.
The 2020 OVC Women's Basketball Tournament crown was SEMO's fourth title of the 2019-20 campaign. SEMO also won regular-season championships in football and soccer, and a tournament title in volleyball.
Video Highlights
A new era in Southeast Missouri men's basketball began when Director of Athletics Brady Barke named Brad Korn the next head men's basketball coach on Mar. 23, 2020.
Korn was officially introduced in a small private gathering on campus the following day. He is the seventh head coach in SEMO's NCAA Division I era (since 1991-92).
Korn spent five years at Big 12 Conference member Kansas State working the last four seasons as an assistant coach and one as the program's Director of Operations.
"I'm excited to welcome Brad and his family to Cape Girardeau," said Barke. "Brad is a winner and has an incredible knack for building relationships with student-athletes, while developing them both on and off the court. His energy and passion will bring a renewed sense of excitement to SEMO Basketball."
Korn agreed to a five-year contract which will run through Apr. 30, 2025.
In four years back at K-State after returning following a three-year stint at Missouri State (2013-16), Korn helped the Wildcats to 82 wins and three-straight NCAA Tournament appearances. K-State posted back-to-back 25-win campaigns for the first time in school history (2017-18, 2018-19).
During his first year back in 2016-17, the squad won 21 games, including eight over teams that advanced to the postseason, and knocked off Wake Forest in the NCAA First Four before losing to #18 Cincinnati in the NCAA South Regional First Round.
Working primarily with the post players, Korn was a big influence on the development of two-time All-Big 12 First Team selection Dean Wade, who became the fourth Wildcat to earn All-Big 12 First-Team honors in 2018 and just the second to do so in back-to-back seasons. Wade is one of just three players to rank in the school's Top 10 in both career scoring (1,510) and rebounding (685). He was instrumental in the progress of Makol Mawien, who has started all 103 games in his K-State career and emerged as one of the top big men in the Big 12.
Korn was also key in the growth of All-Big 12 selections Wesley Iwundu and D.J. Johnson during his first season as an assistant coach in 2016-17. Iwundu, who was twice named Third Team All-Big 12, became the first Wildcat since 2008 to be taken in the NBA Draft when he was selected with 33rd overall pick by the Orlando Magic. Johnson, an honorable mention all-league selection, broke the career field goal percentage record at 59.5 percent, while setting the single-season mark for the second consecutive season at 62.3 percent in 2016-17.
Korn spent one season on Bruce Weber's inaugural staff at K-State as Director of Operations in 2012-13, helping the Wildcats to a 27-8 overall record and their first-ever Big 12 regular-season title. It was the school's first conference title since 1977, while the 27 wins rated second-most in school history.
Overall, he has 15 years of Division I experience, which includes time at his alma mater – Southern Illinois (2004-12).
Korn has extensive ties to Weber after playing his first four years (1999-2003) for him at Southern Illinois. He redshirted in 1999-2000 before playing the next three years for Weber. He concluded his playing career for (current Purdue head coach) Matt Painter in 2003-04 before spending the next eight years (2004-12) at SIU as an assistant for then-Saluki head coach and current K-State associate head coach Chris Lowery.
Korn returned to Manhattan in May 2016 after three seasons at Missouri State, where he served as an assistant coach to then-head coach Paul Lusk from 2013-16. At MSU, he helped the Bears to 44 wins, including a 20 -win season and a trip to the CollegeInsider.com Tournament in 2013-14.
Korn helped mentor a number of All-Missouri Valley honorees during his stay at Missouri State, including 2014 All-MVC Second-Team selection Jarmar Gulley and 2016 MVC Newcomer of the Year Dequon Miller. In addition, he coached three MVC All-Freshman Team honorees in Austin Ruder in 2014 and Obediah Church and Jarred Dixon in 2016 as well as two Most Improved Team members (Dorrian Williams in 2015 and Chris Kendrix in 2016).
Prior to his first stint at K-State, Korn spent eight years (2004-12) at Southern Illinois, including his final six years as a full-time assistant under Lowery. He helped the Salukis post a 145-116 (.556) overall record with four postseason appearances, two Missouri Valley Conference championships and one State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament title. The squad won 20 or more games and advanced to the NCAA Tournament on three occasions (2005, 2006, 2007) during his tenure as an assistant coach, including a 2007 trip to the Sweet 16. He was a graduate assistant at SIU his first two years before being elevated to a full-time assistant coach on Jan. 31, 2006.
A native of Plano, Illinois, Korn helped the Salukis through one of their greatest periods of success from 1999 to 2004. The squad went from 16 wins his redshirt-freshman season to three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances under Weber and Painter. He was also a part of three Missouri Valley regular season championships as a player.
The 6-foot-9 forward saw action in 121 games in his career, averaging 5.2 points and 2.3 rebounds in 14.5 minutes per game. As a senior, he averaged 9.7 points on 41 percent shooting with four rebounds and 1.9 assists in helping SIU to 25 wins and a 17-1 mark in MVC play. He was named to the league's Most Improved Team.
Korn earned a bachelor's degree in marketing from Southern Illinois in 2004 and earned credits towards a Master's degree in Sports Studies.
carved up the Bryant University lineup by recording a career-high 15 strikeouts in a dominating shutout victory on Mar. 6, 2020.
A native of Republic, Missouri, Rook allowed only one hit in six innings during her 8-0 win, which capped a two-game sweep at the Mississippi State Bulldog Slamboree. It was the second time in SEMO's short season that Rook struck out 10 or more in a game.
Only two Bryant hitters reached base against Rook who struck out the side in the first inning and retired all but five of the hitters she faced.
The Redhawks scored four runs in the bottom of the first inning to get Rook an early lead.
Kaylee Anderson knocked in a run on a single to right field and
Ashley Ellis smashed a three-run home run to put SEMO ahead, 4-0. For Ellis, it was her team-high eighth homer of the season.
Addison Barnouski's two-run shot keyed a three-run third inning as the Redhawks extended their lead to 7-0.
Rachel Anderson scored the other run with the help of an error.
Kimmy Wallen's run-scoring single up the middle completed SEMO's run-rule victory.
Rook picked up her fourth win with the shutout.
Video Highlights
Andrew Keck knocked in the game-winning run on an infield single with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th inning to complete a remarkable comeback as Southeast Missouri beat Northern Illinois, 16-15, on Feb. 22.
The Redhawks were down, 15-6, when they scored nine runs on eight hits to tie the game in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Danny Wright hit a grand slam and Justin Dirden smacked a two-run home run in an inning which saw 14 men come to the plate. Landon Hahn, Keck and Austin Blazevic also had RBI-hits in the Redhawks massive eighth.
SEMO and NIU went scoreless in the ninth and headed to extra innings.
In the bottom of the 10th, Hahn led off with a walk and went to second on a bunt single by Wright. With one out, Dirden was intentionally walked to load the bases. On the next play, Keck delivered his one-out game-winning hit.
NIU scored multiple runs in four innings and led by as many as 10 runs (12-2) through the first four-and-a-half frames. The Huskies and Redhawks scored a combined 11 runs in the eighth inning to set up the dramatic finish.
Bryce Grossius (1-0) earned the win as the last of five SEMO pitchers to take the mound. He struck out one in one scoreless inning.
Tristan Michaels (0-2) suffered the loss for NIU.
SEMO registered 21 hits in the nightcap, 10 of which were in the final three innings. Keck went 4-for-5 with a run scored and two RBI, Dirden finished at 4-or-5 with four runs scored, a home run and four RBI and Wright added three hits, a run scored and four RBI. Tyler Wilber, Wade Stauss and Caleb Feuerstake also had multiple hits.
Video Highlights
Southeast Missouri women's tennis picked up three wins over in-state foes Saint Louis, Missouri State and Kansas City in its shortened 2020 season. SEMO bested Saint Louis, 6-1, on Jan. 29 before overcoming Missouri State and Kansas City, 4-3, in consecutive matches on March 6 and 7.
"We put ourselves in a great position going into conference play with these three wins," head coach
Mary Beth Gunn said. "It added to our confidence and the players knew they were ready for conference play."
Vivian Lai,
Romana Tarajova and
Teona Velkoska each had three singles wins over SLU, MSU and KC.
Kseniya Zonovaposted a 2-0 singles mark during this non-conference stretch. On the doubles side, Tarajova and Zonova paced the Redhawks with a 2-1 record.
Saint Louis – January 29
Southeast captured the doubles point in the dual at Saint Louis to start the match.
Lera Valeeva and
Manuela Barrigacruised past Mariluz Rojo and Nawal Cheema, 6-2, at the third position for Valeeva's first collegiate win. Tarajova and Zonova then beat Cassie McKenzie and Ariana Rodriguez, 6-2, to secure the point.
The Redhawks extended their advantage in the dual to 3-0 when the competition switched to singles with wins at the no. 6. and no. 4 slots. Barriga defeated Cheema, 6-1, 6-2, before Lai ousted Ariana Rodriguez, 6-2, 6-2. For Lai, it was her first career dual victory as a Redhawk.
SEMO then rattled off wins at the first, fifth and second lineup spots for its first dual win during the 2020 campaign.
Tarajova, the 2019 Ohio Valley Conference Freshman of the Year and First-Team All-OVC honoree, battled past Rojo, 7-6, 6-2, at first singles.
Velkoska then fought her way past Adriana Gonzalez in three sets, 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, at the fifth position.
Zonova closed out the match with a 2-6, 7-5, 7-6 comeback victory over Mika Misgav at no. 2 singles.
Missouri State – March 6
After the Bears earned the doubles point, Zonova evened the match at 1-1 with a win at no. 1 singles. Zonova bested Alye Darter, 6-1, 6-1 for her 40th career dual singles win at Southeast.
MSU retook the lead, 2-1, when Ellie Burger beat Valeeva, 6-3, 6-2, at the middle position.
The Redhawks then rallied off two straight wins at no. 4 and no. 2 singles to push the advantage back into SEMO's favor, 3-2. Tarajova overcame Anna Alons, 6-3, 6-4, before Lai cruised past Taylor Shaw, 6-1, 6-1.
With the match tied at 3-3, Velkoska clinched the dual meet victory for Southeast at the fifth lineup spot. The sophomore from Prilep, Macedonia, fought past Alyson Piskulic, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 in the final singles match of the evening.
Kansas City – March 7
Southeast dropped the doubles point for the second straight match before rallying off singles wins at the first through fourth positions against Kansas City.
Lai and
Maja Lundell opened the dual with their first doubles win as a team. The duo bested Thanushree Vale and Rhiannon McBlane, 6-3, at no. 3 doubles.
When the competition switched to singles, Southeast compiled four straight wins to capture the dual victory.
Zonova beat Yana Grechkina by default at the top slot after taking the opening set, 7-5.
Lai then defeated Riddhi Sharma, 6-1, 6-3, at no. 3 singles to push the Redhawks advantage to 2-1.
At the fourth slot, Velkoska cruised past Vale, 6-3, 6-2, before Tarajova defeated Michela Xibilia, 6-3, 6-2, at no. 2 singles to claim the SEMO win.
Video Highlights
Ashley Ellis was off to a roaring start in her senior year which was shortened to 17 games due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A native of Arnold, Missouri, Ellis homered in five of Southeast Missouri's first six contests and led the Ohio Valley Conference with eight round-trippers when play was canceled. She was also 26th in the nation in that category.
Ellis went 3-for-4 with a pair of home runs in her second start of the season to lead the Redhawks to a 16-15 extra-inning win over Purdue Fort Wayne on Feb. 14. Her multiple-home run performance ignited a streak of four-straight games where she hit a home run.
Following the Purdue Fort Wayne game, Ellis homered vs. Southern Mississippi (Feb. 15), Troy (Feb. 15), South Carolina State (Feb. 21), Grambling State (Feb. 22), Kansas City (Feb. 29) and Bryant (Mar. 6).
Ellis, who will return in 2020-21 after the NCAA granted an extra year of eligibility, ranks second among SEMO's all-time career leaders with 34 home runs. She is one of only three Redhawks to hit over 30 career home runs joining Michelle Summers (48, 2005-08) and Megan McDonald (31, 2005-08).
Video Highlights
Left-hander Dylan Dodd recorded a career-high 15 strikeouts and threw a five-hit complete game shutout to lead Southeast Missouri to a 3-0 series-opening win over Ohio University on Feb. 28, 2020.
Dodd did not allow a walk and struck out the side in both the third and ninth innings. He retired the Bobcats in order during four of his nine sparkling innings. Dodd's 15 strikeouts were the most in a game by any Ohio Valley Conference pitcher during the shortened 2020 campaign.
SEMO gave Dodd a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when Austin Blazevic ripped a two-out RBI-single to right field. Tyler Wilber scored on the play for the first run of the game.
After back-to-back strikeouts, Blazevic delivered another big two-out hit, this time a double to right center widening the Redhawks lead to 3-0 in the third.
That would be all Dodd needed en route to his first complete game victory.
Dodd finished with double-digit strikeouts for the second time in his career. His 15 strikeouts surpassed a previous career-high of 11 which came at SIU Edwardsville on Mar. 15, 2019. Dodd worked 5.2 innings in that outing.
Video Highlights
Freshman Vivian Lai was named the Ohio Valley Conference Women's Tennis Athlete of the Week on March 11, 2020 for the first time in her career.
Lai registered three wins (two singles and one doubles) as Southeast Missouri posted a pair of victories over Missouri State and Kansas City to wrap up its non-conference schedule.
"Vivian was having a fantastic freshman year," said head coach Mary Beth Gunn. "She showed a lot of growth from the fall season to the spring season. I do think she would have been an all-conference player this year and a strong candidate for OVC Freshmen of the Year. Vivian has a great hunger on the court and I see her as returning ready to finish what she started."
Lai extended her singles win streak to five with decisions over MSU and Kansas City. She cruised past Missouri State's Taylor Shaw, 6-1, 6-1, at No. 4 singles before defeating Kansas City's Riddhi Sharma, 6-1, 6-3, in the No. 3 slot.
On the doubles side, Lai split two matches. She dropped a 6-2 decision with Teona Velkoska to MSU's Alyson Piskulic and Anna Alons at No. 2 doubles. Lai then earned a 6-3 win with Maja Lundell at the third spot in the lineup over Thanushree Vale and Rhiannon McBlane of Kansas City.
The freshman from Taipei, Taiwan, led the Redhawks with a 5-2 mark in singles play.
"Vivian is a player who cares about her teammates and someone who puts others before herself," Gunn added. "When she steps on the court, she plays for the team and not for herself which helps keep her focused and hungry to win. I think Vivian is a determined player who will work hard this summer to come in ready to show that she is a top player in the conference."
The reigning Ohio Valley Conference Champion Southeast Missouri softball team began its 2020 season hot winning nine of its first 10 games.
The Redhawks used a 16-15 extra inning win over Purdue Fort Wayne to kickstart a nine-game winning streak that lasted until the beginning of March.
Along the way, SEMO went 3-1 at the season-opening Troy University Tournament (Feb. 14-16) and won the Alabama State Stinger Classic (Feb. 21-23) with a perfect 5-0 mark the following week. The Redhawks won its home-opener with a 3-0 shutout against Kansas City (Feb. 29) before dropping a pair of one-run games to the Kangaroos the next day.
The Redhawks were 12-5 at the point their season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. SEMO, on a flight to Tampa, Florida for the South Florida Tournament, hadn't even landed when it learned the news that the ramainder of its season was finished.
SEMO was on pace to have another big year as it led the Ohio Valley Conference in triples per game (.82), stolen bases per game (2.41), scoring (6.7 rpg), slugging percentage (.527) and on-base percentage (.410). Its five losses were second-fewest in the league at the time play was cancelled. Nationally, the Redhawks ranked among the top-10 out of 294 NCAA Division I teams in triples per game (2nd) and stolen bases per game (8th).
Individually,
Rachel Anderson led the nation in toughest to strikeout, ranked second in triples per game (.29) and was fourth in total triples (5). Anderson, who also led the OVC in six different categories, did not strike out in 50 at-bats.
Ashley Ellis was atop the OVC and rated fifth in the nation in home runs per game (.47). Ellis led the conference in home runs (8) and RBI per game (1.24), as well.
Pitching wise,
Rachel Rook led the OVC and ranked third in the country in hits allowed per seven innings (2.8). Rook also had both a OVC-best .70 ERA and three shutouts.
