SE women seek opening OVC sweep

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. -- Southeast Missouri State University's women go from the defending Ohio Valley Conference champion to the preseason favorite as they wrap up a rugged league-opening two-game road trip.

After posting a 59-56 victory at Austin Peay Thursday night, Southeast (7-5, 1-0) visits Tennessee Tech (8-4, 1-0) today for a 5:30 p.m. tipoff.

"It doesn't get any easier for us," Southeast coach B.J. Smith said.

But Southeast should carry plenty of confidence and momentum into today's matchup after finally breaking through against Austin Peay, which has won the past two OVC regular-season titles along with the last four OVC Tournament crowns.

Southeast had been 0-6 against Austin Peay during Smith's first two seasons prior to Thursday's triumph.

"After beating Austin Peay, we feel really good going to Tennessee Tech," senior forward Chandra Brown said.

Added senior guard Brandi Russia, "We knew this was a new season and this was where it all starts. The conference is what it's all about, and we're ready for Tennessee Tech."

Tech, the OVC's most decorated team with 15 regular-season championships, finished second last year and returned all five starters, making the Eaglettes the overwhelming preseason favorites.

"They're very good, and what they've done so far this year shows that they probably deserved to be the favorites," Smith said. "They've had some really good non-conference wins."

The Eaglettes are led by Emily Christian, a 6-foot-1 junior forward who is the league's preseason player of the year.

Last year, Christian led the OVC in scoring at 20.4 points per game. She is off to another strong start, averaging nearly 18 points per contest.

"She's an excellent player," Smith said. "She's not real flashy, but she just gets the job done. That's kind of the way their whole team is. They're not real flashy, but they really execute, and they're really tough to beat at home."

Tech's execution is evidenced by the fact it leads the OVC in field-goal shooting (44 percent) and 3-point shooting (38 percent) while averaging the second-fewest turnovers (15). The Eaglettes also top the league in free-throw shooting (80 percent).

"They're very fundamentally sound and they don't beat themselves," Smith said. "You have to beat them."

Tech clicked on virtually all cylinders during its OVC opener Thursday, routing visiting Eastern Illinois 88-56 . Freshman Stefanie Holbrook set a conference record by hitting 10 3-pointers on her way to 30 points. The Eaglettes had 17 3-pointers overall.

Before Southeast departed for its road trip to begin OVC play, Smith said he felt both games were winnable, but he also realized there was a possibility Southeast would lose both games.

Right now, while a split would still be acceptable, Smith knows the opportunity is there for Southeast to come home with an impressive sweep.

"There are some trips you go on and you don't mind a split at all," Smith said. "Before we left, this was one of those. But it would be great to get this one and come back home with people chasing us, at least for a while."