Southeast women go for nine in a row

It might be temporary, but Southeast Missouri State's women have a chance to move into sole possession of first place in the Ohio Valley Conference for the first time all season today.

The sizzling Redhawks (15-6, 9-1 OVC) will have the top spot all to themselves if they beat Eastern Illinois (9-12, 2-8) in today's 5:15 p.m. matchup in Charleston, Ill.

Southeast is tied for first in the 11-team league with Eastern Kentucky -- also 9-1 -- but the Redhawks' game today is the only contest on the OVC schedule, although the Colonels would be able to get back into a first-place tie Thursday, when the Redhawks don't play.

Coach B.J. Smith is not as worried about the current standings, as he is concerned about Southeast continuing to keep its focus.

"We just have to keep getting better and keep winning games," Smith said. "Then the standings will take care of themselves."

The Redhawks have posted eight straight victories for the program's longest winning streak since moving up to Division I in 1991-92. Southeast has also won 11 of its last 12 games.

"We just have to keep taking it one game at a time," senior forward Chandra Brown said.

Southeast hasn't only been winning lately, it continues to crush the opposition. The Redhawks have beaten their last six opponents by an average of nearly 30 points, with the closest decision being 17 points.

During the past six games, no opponent has shot better than 37 percent.

The Redhawks' defense was particularly impressive during Saturday's 60-40 win at Murray State as the Racers shot just 22.6 percent and hit only one of 18 3-pointers, allowing Southeast to prevail despite struggling offensively.

"In order to win a conference championship, you have to win when you don't play well, and you have to win when you don't make shots," Smith said. "Any time you can win on the road, it's big."

Southeast will look to complete a perfect three-game road swing today against a team it beat 87-70 on Jan. 11 at the Show Me Center. But Smith isn't about to overlook a Panthers squad that has played the Redhawks tough in recent years.

"They've usually played well against us, and it's never easy on the road no matter who you're playing," Smith said. "We can't take anybody lightly. We have to be ready to play."

EIU, tied for last place in the OVC, has one of the league's better inside players in senior center Pam O'Connor, who averages 14.9 points per game while shooting 57.4 percent from the field.

Southeast, among the nation's leaders in scoring at 74.9 points per game, continues to be led by junior center Tatiana Conceicao. She tops the OVC in scoring (17.9 ppg) and is also first in steals (61).