New season

When the Ohio Valley Conference tournament opens tonight, Southeast Missouri State University's basketball teams will be playing both at home and away.

The home game is the result of conference championship clinched last week by the Southeast women's team under the direction of Coach John Ishee. The top-seeded women will play No. 8 Austin Peay in the first round.

The women's team is on a hot six-game winning streak, which resulted in the squad's first outright regular-season conference title. Last year the women shared the regular-season championship and went on to win the tournament title for a first-ever NCAA berth. This year, the women's team has its sights set on another tournament victory and another trip to the NCAA.

The No. 6 men's team goes into tonight's tournament with the attitude that any of the teams could prevail. Coach Scott Edgar believes the men's team has an opportunity to redeem itself in the conference tournament, "and hopefully we'll make the most of it."

Both teams view the tournament as a "new season." Here's wishing all the players and coaches the best for Redhawk victories.