How the Redhawks rebounded

Even before the Southeast Missouri State University women's basketball team won its first-round contest against Austin Peay Tuesday night, Redhawk fans were in agreement about one thing.

This team has had one heck of a season.

Sports writers picked Southeast to finish fifth in the Ohio Valley Conference at the season's start, and head coach B.J. Smith resigned under a dark cloud in December. Yet they've defied critics. The team was 21-7 entering the OVC tournament and seems poised to make a deep conference tournament run and possibly earn an NCAA berth for the second consecutive year.

Most fans who have watched the team closely this season give credit to acting head coach John Ishee.

"What they've done after the adversity they started with is nothing short of miraculous," said season ticketholder Robin Cole. "I hope the university comes quickly to coach Ishee and gives him a contract."

Cole was so certain the Redhawks would prevail Tuesday that he had already bought his tickets for Friday's second-round tournament game in Nashville.

He thinks the heart of the team is center Lachelle Lyles, who came into Tuesday's contest leading the nation in rebounding with 466. "She set high goals at the beginning of the season. She consulted with Lisa Pace and told her, 'I'm going to be the number one rebounder in the nation,' and she's doing it," Cole said. Pace is an assistant coach.

Watching Lyles crash the boards seemed to be a popular pastime Tuesday.

"She's got 10," 27-year season ticketholder Dr. Dave Johnson said with 5:30 to go in the first half. Johnson said he's in the habit of counting Lyles' rebounds. "That's what I follow lately," he said.

Johnson would love to see Lyles lead the nation, but he also takes pleasure in watching a master at work. "She just blocks out so well and then grabs the ball," he said. "The way she does it, nobody can take it away from her. It's just amazing."

Johnson said a turning point for the team was the Jan. 27 double overtime win over Murray State. The Redhawks trailed the Racers by half a game in league standings coming into that contest. Since the win they have not relinquished the lead, going 7-1 the rest of the way. "That was just an awesome game," he said.

Johnson had low expectations at the beginning of the season, predicting about a .500-level squad. But the team and its coach quickly surprised him. "They seem to really like him, and he seems like a nice guy. I think the team is just playing together better than before," he said.

One fan who will be there whether the team wins or loses is Judy Ryan. Ryan, who worked at the university in food service for 22 years, sits in the first row behind the east-end basket for every men's and women's home game.

"I've always got faith in them. They work so hard," she said. Ryan voiced strong support for Ishee. She thinks the heart of the squad is sophomore guard Tarina Nixon. "She's just so quick and so good," she said. "She really gets around. It's a lot of fun to watch."

Other fans aren't as diehard but made their presence known because Tuesday's game was "win or go home." About 50 students filled much of the student section behind the west-end basket. Generally, the women don't get as much student support as the men. But those students in attendance Tuesday included Sigma Nu fraternity brothers who painted their chests to spell SEMO and their fraternity name.

"It's a problem getting people to come out," said junior Mike Heard. "Everyone knows the girls are really good, and people want to go to games, but when they play right before the men it's hard to tell people to come out and watch six hours of basketball."

Heard would like to see a requirement in future years that all members of the Rowdy Crowd, a student pep organization, come to portions of men's and women's games to make sure the section is always full.

"That's what other organizations do, and I think it's a good way to show support," Heard said.

tgreaney@semissourian.com

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