Guard duty for Beck

Bianca Beck never expected to receive so much early playing time.

But Beck is appreciative of the opportunity she's received with the Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team.

Beck, a freshman point guard from St. Louis, likely will receive her second straight start to open the season tonight when the Redhawks host Central Arkansas.

"I wasn't expecting it, but I'm excited," Beck said.

Beck started Southeast's opener, Friday's 67-64 win over visiting Missouri State, in place of senior Tarina Nixon.

Southeast freshman Bianca Beck shoots a free throw during Friday's season opener.

Although Nixon, a starter since her freshman season, played 15 minutes against Missouri State off the bench, she was hampered by an injury to the pinkie finger on her right hand. Nixon is questionable for tonight.

"Bianca getting lots of minutes early will only help us when we get into the conference season," senior forward Rachel Blunt said.

Beck more than held her own against tradition-rich Missouri State after a rocky beginning that saw her commit four early turnovers.

Beck did not have another turnover. She played 27 minutes and scored five points while grabbing four rebounds and dishing out two assists.

"After those four turnovers I was like, It's time to stop being a freshman and get it together,'" said the cheery Beck, who hit 1 of 2 3-pointers and made both of her free-throw attempts.

Among five Southeast newcomers, Beck is the player Southeast coach John Ishee has raved about the most since practice started.

"She's not a typical freshman," Ishee said. "She's very mentally tough. I think she has a chance to be a special player."

The 5-foot-7 Beck said she has learned plenty already from Nixon and Southeast's other seniors.

"Tarina's a great player," Beck said. "She helps me a lot. All the seniors have helped me."

Beck played for Incarnate Word Academy, one of Missouri's premier high school programs. She helped lead the team to the Class 5 state title during her sophomore season and to a second-place state finish last year.

"She was really a big sign for us," Ishee said. "We felt like she was under-recruited."

Beck, who plans to major in psychology, said she has enjoyed everything about being at Southeast so far.

"The team is great," she said.

Visit from Sugar Bears

After downing the Missouri State Bears in their opener, the Redhawks will turn their attention to the Central Arkansas Sugar Bears.

UCA, a third-year Division I program, opened its season Friday with a 77-36 loss at traditional power Louisiana Tech.

The Sugar Bears went 7-22 last year, including a 91-60 loss to Southeast in Conway, Ark.

But Ishee said UCA has improved quite a bit and he doesn't expect a lopsided contest like last year.

"They'll be a lot better than they were a year ago," Ishee said. "We're never going to be a team where we're just going to overpower people.

"We just scratch and claw for everything we get."

Final recruit signs

Ishee announced that Southeast signed a seventh player during the early signing period.

Monica Miller is a 5-9 guard/forward at Lausanne Prep School in Memphis, Tenn.

Miller averaged 8.2 points and 4.4 rebounds last season, earning state tournament MVP honors as her squad went 30-3 and captured the TSSAA Division II title.

All seven of the Redhawks' early signees for the 2009-10 season are high school seniors.