Southeast women win regular season finale, seeding secured for OVC Tournament

For the sixth consecutive year, a SEMO team led by head coach Rekha Patterson is headed back to the Ohio Valley Conference annual tourney.

For the second straight season, Southeast (15-10, 13-7 OVC) will go as the no. 3 seed and will face no. 6 Murray State (15-10, 12-8) in a 3:30 p.m. opening round game Thursday in Evansville, Indiana.

The Racers will come into the Ford Center hot, having won their last four.

“I’m very proud of our young ladies who battled in a very tough year,” said Patterson, “and I know they’ve been hungry to get back (to the tournament).”

SEMO clinched its seeding Saturday with a double-digit win at SIU-Edwardsville, 63-52, before a COVID-restricted attendance of 50, believed to be the smallest crowd the Redhawks saw this season.

Four Redhawks finished in double figures for Southeast, led by Terri Smith’s 14 points, including four made three pointers. Teammate Roshala Scott added three treys of her own to finish with 13 points.

“We recruited (Smith) to shoot the three and we want she and Ro confident in taking that shot,” said Patterson.

LaTrese Saine, who was limited to 24 minutes because of early foul trouble, also had 13 points while Sophie Bussard finished with 11.

Prima Chellis was high scorer for the Cougars (6-19, 3-17) with 11 points.

__Defending champs face test__

Last season, the Redhawks rode their seeding to the 2019-20 tournament championship.

No promises this year, though, because the 2021 Redhawks have a markedly changed lineup.

Top performer and 3-point specialist Carrie Shepherd and fellow starter Jessie Harshberger were lost to graduation.

Tesia Thompson and Taelour Pruitt, the stars of last year’s title squad, remain hurt with knee injuries, and their absence was very much on Patterson’s mind after the game.

Asked if Thompson, last year’s tournament MVP, and Pruitt, whose 3-pointer at the buzzer kept the team alive in the opening game of the 2020 tourney, will play in Evansville – Patterson said she didn’t know.

“Not really sure (but) we have five days to prepare (and) I know Tesia and T.P. will do everything they can to get out onto the court,” she said, adding that prayers will be appreciated from fans.

“Fortunately, neither player has a tear in the knee, but they haven’t been able to move in a healthy manner so far,” Patterson continued.

“We’re not only a very different team this year, but we’re also very different than we were just a week ago,” she opined.

“Are we playing our best basketball right now? No, but we’re playing in March and we’re in the tournament hoping to repeat as OVC champs and advance to the NCAAs,” Patterson said.

__Local players__

Puxico High’s Sophia Hancock played 22 minutes and had two points and three rebounds for SEMO.

Saxony Lutheran’s Masyn McWilliams made an impact for the Cougars, scoring eight points in just 12 minutes.

__Drilling down__

Southeast led wire-to-wire and went up by 15 points three times in the contest.

Rebounds, turnovers and steals were nearly even for both teams but SEMO outshot SIUE, 50%-36%, and held a 7-3 edge in made three-point shots.

SIUE, in 11th place in the conference, above only winless Tennessee State (0-22, 0-20), is eliminated from postseason contention.

Southeast only went to the charity stripe twice in the game, landing both free throws.

Scoring

SEMO 16 19 19 9 – 63

SIUE 11 11 18 12 - 52