Young post player emerging with SEMO WBB

When Southeast Missouri State freshman center Dionna Reed returned from an injury earlier this month that had sidelined her since November, veteran Redhawk coach Rekha Patterson made a focused effort to get the 6-foot-5 post player onto the court. Not only did Patterson want to see what Reed was capable of, but she wanted Reed to see what her potential was.

“(Dionna) Needs to know if she can do this,” Patterson said recently. “I know that there are not a lot of games left, but she needs this. She needs the feel. She needs the excitement.”

Reed got a lot of “excitement” (as did Patterson’s team), as SEMO battled OVC-leader Belmont until the buzzer on Saturday at the Show Me Center, before falling 70-67.

The Bruins (16-7, 12-2 OVC) led SEMO by 16 points early in the third quarter, but the Redhawks (5-20, 1-13) rallied to outscore Belmont 21-11 over the final 7:00-plus minutes of that quarter to pull to within six points.

The Bruins never led by double-digits again, and Reed’s play in the final period was a key reason why.

Reed scored on an “and-one” at the 8:21 mark to pull her team to within 56-52 and then added two more baskets in the final 2:21 to keep her team right on the heels of the Bruins.

She finished with a career-high seven points.

“I truly believe that (Reed) can be one of the best post players (ever at SEMO),” Patterson said. “(Former Redhawk great) Pat Colon has her jersey hanging up (in the Show Me Center) and I don’t know if she is going to be that good, but she can be a really good post player in our league.

“With her basketball feel, her basketball IQ, and then her talent.”

Reed played 10 minutes, which was the third consecutive game in which Patterson utilized her double-digit minutes. She grabbed a couple of rebounds and also passed for two assists, which may be her best trait at this early point in her career.

“She is a very good passer,” Patterson said. “She has really good touch. She’s not going to throw it too hard. Just nice and soft.

“It’s amazing how she has amazing feet and amazing hands for a young lady her size.”

Not only is Patterson impressed with Reed’s early play, but so are her teammates.

Fellow freshman Kennedi Watkins has to defend Reed in practices so she can understand what Belmont (and other teams) had to deal with.

“Dionna is a killer in the post,” Watkins said. “Once she gets the ball in the post, it is over. She is just really dominant. She knows her role. She knows what to do. When she gets more experience playing, it’s going to be over for the OVC.”

Reed’s play wasn’t the lone bright spot on Saturday.

Junior guard Roshala Scott hit 8 of 12 shots en route to a career-high 25 points to go with her team-leading seven rebounds and five assists.

SEMO also got 10 points from senior guard Taelour Pruitt and senior forward Deanay Watson, who matched Scott’s seven boards.

Watkins added eight points and seven rebounds.

The Redhawks will travel to Tennessee Tech (16-8, 11-3), which is just one game behind Belmont in the OVC standings, on Thursday at 5:30 p.m.