Martin who? Redhawks coach Ishee insists NAIA team Martin Methodist is worthy of respect

Southeast Missouri State's women are coming off a nice road win over Buffalo and getting ready to resume Ohio Valley Conference play.

That means the Redhawks could potentially have trouble treating today's opponent with proper respect.

Acting head coach John Ishee hopes he has been able to keep his Redhawks from doing that entering a 2 p.m. tipoff against NAIA Martin Methodist at the Show Me Center.

"You have to respect the game of basketball, No. 1," Ishee said. "Do you play to the level of competition, or do you try and set standards every time you take the court?"

Besides, Ishee said the Redhawks -- who are 7-4 and have won four straight games -- need to be wary of Martin Methodist for one basic reason.

"They're a good team," Ishee said.

Ishee pointed out that Martin Methodist, located in Pulaski, Tenn., has more in common with Southeast right now than just the similarity of the schools' nicknames.

The RedHawks -- note the upper case H, as opposed to the lower case in Southeast's Redhawks -- also are riding an impressive hot streak.

Martin Methodist (9-2) has won six of its last seven games, including a 71-60 victory over nationally ranked Georgetown College in its most recent outing.

The RedHawks, who last year won 13 games to tie for the second-most victories in school history, received votes in the most recent NAIA national poll.

"They're an athletic team, and they're a solid team," Ishee said. "They have three really athletic guards and two 6-foot-3 kids."

Martin Methodist is outscoring its opponents by an average of more than 21 points per game.

The RedHawks have only one player averaging in double figures offensively -- 5-9 junior guard Shontel Johnson at 12.8 points per game -- but six other players contribute more than seven points a contest.

Martin Methodist goes deep into its bench, with 12 players averaging more than 12 minutes per game.

"They've got good offensive balance and they play a lot of people," Ishee said. "They won't be an easy team for us to beat. We definitely can't take them lightly."

Southeast stepped out of OVC play Friday night and traveled to Buffalo, where the Redhawks prevailed 61-50.

"That was a nice win for us, on the road against a pretty good team," Ishee said.

The Redhawks, in second place in the OVC at 3-1, play their next conference game Tuesday at Eastern Kentucky. Ishee would like nothing better than to carry a five-game winning streak into that contest.

"It would be great to keep our streak going and to keep playing well," Ishee said. "This game is important for us."