Hunter, Mack to play final game at Show Me Center

~ The Redhawks are hoping their two seniors will make their first appearance in the OVC tournament

Just before one of their final practices Thursday as members of the Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team, seniors Jordan Hunter and Patricia Mack both talked separately about the importance of having fun during their senior campaigns.

It wasn't that having fun just helped them through tough stretches in the season, which it did, but rather having fun was what led to some of their better games.

"Like we'll have arguments but that doesn't affect how we interact and still be able to laugh with each other, so I feel like us laughing more and knowing each other better and just having more personal relationships off the floor correlated onto the floor," Mack said before practice Thursday. "Like we were able to enjoy not just being off the court with each other but being on the court with each other, and I felt like that was a whole better environment than last year."

The Redhawks haven't quite had the success that they wanted with a record of 9-19 overall and 5-10 in the Ohio Valley Conference, but they'll at least have one more chance to have fun, and possibly extend their season, when they face Murray State at 3 p.m. Saturday.

Southeast could still make the conference tournament if they beat Murray State, and Morehead State, SIU Edwardsville and Austin Peay all lose their games on Saturday.

"We've kind of been uptight these last games because they mean a lot, so I hope that we just come into this game relaxed and just finish it how we know we can play, like all together, all as one and all connected and we just have fun," Hunter said. "You can tell when we have fun when we're laughing, when we're pointing at each other, when we're jumping up and down on the bench."

One game this season where it was evident the players weren't quite having fun or as Hunter put it, "on the same page," was in their 66-55 loss to the Racers on Feb. 19.

"I give Murray a lot of credit for playing well and they made shots and they outplayed us and they deserved to win that game, but I was mad that we didn't give, I didn't think, a complete 40-minute effort," Southeast coach Ty Margenthaler said. "I think we played hard at times, but just our concentration level wasn't there, and I think that's why we fouled and that's why we missed some shots just because of the focus. I'm really hoping that we can get that focus back on Saturday, and if we do, I do believe we're the better basketball team and we'll win the game."

If Southeast beats Murray State it would finish the season with six regular-season conference wins, which would be the most since Southeast won 10 during the 2008-2009 season and also the most conference wins that either Hunter or Mack have been a part of.

Neither Mack nor Hunter have had the chance to play in the conference tournament during their time at Southeast.

"It really saddens me that if we don't happen to make the tournament -- not for myself, but it saddens me for the team and really for Trish and Jordan," Margenthaler said before Thursday's practice. "To not be able to experience getting that conference gift. I mean, very simple little gift. ... It bothers me and I don't know if I'll ever get over it."

Mack, a fifth-year senior, has gone through a coaching change and also a torn ACL that forced her to sit out and use a medical redshirt her sophomore season. She was named the OVC Player of the Week for the first time in her career Tuesday after she grabbed a career-high 21 rebounds and scored 12 points against Jacksonville State and followed that up with a 17-point, 18-rebound performance against Tennessee Tech.

"Her skill level, just from the first day or week we were in town ... she's always had that great athleticism but not a skill player, and then really developing into more of that skill-type player and actually running things for her to shoot the 3 now is a credit to her," Margenthaler said.

Hunter, from New Zealand, transferred to Southeast for her junior season from Crowder Community College.

Hunter was part of Margenthaler's first recruiting class and has started every game in her two-year career at Southeast.

"Desperately we needed a point guard that could play right away and that could handle a lot of things in a program that hasn't been very successful," Margenthaler said. "She bought into it right away and played a lot of minutes for us. ... I think she's been really good on and off the court, I really do. I think she's been good for our team, and she's a quiet leader but I have a lot of respect for her."

Margenthaler isn't trying to focus much on what has to happen for his team to get a spot in the tournament, but rather focusing on finishing the season on a high note.

"Just kind of really focus on going out with pride and just going out to help the two seniors win," Margenthaler said.