Notre Dame grad Bradshaw helps lead Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team past Austin Peay

Allyson Bradshaw has had an up-and-down season, not unlike most freshmen.

The Notre Dame Regional High School graduate was in up mode Monday night, helping the Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team beat visiting Austin Peay 69-60.

Bradshaw scored a season-high 17 points to help the Redhawks revive their hopes of making the Ohio Valley Conference tournament for the first time in three years.

"Amazing. Awesome. I can't even describe it," junior forward Bailie Roberts said after Southeast snapped a five-game losing streak. "It's definitely a steppingstone. Before the game, coach was talking how this was a huge opportunity for us. We were pumped before the game."

Southeast improved to 5-17 overall and 2-7 in OVC play. The Redhawks are ninth in the 11-team league and the top eight finishers qualify for the conference tournament.

Southeast Missouri State's Allyson Bradshaw drives around Austin Peay's Nicole Olszewski during the first half Monday at the Show Me Center. Bradshaw, who graduated from Notre Dame Regional High School, scored a career-high 17 points Monday. (Kristin Eberts)

But Southeast is eighth for tournament purposes because third-place SIU Edwardsville is ineligible for the event during its first year as a conference member.

"We're right there. That's a goal of ours," first-year Southeast coach Ty Margenthaler said. "It would be a big thing, a step one for this basketball program."

Bradshaw played a big role in helping Southeast end a six-game losing streak to the Governors (5-18, 2-8), who suffered their sixth straight loss and fell behind the Redhawks into 10th place.

Bradshaw, a 5-foot-7 guard, hit all five of Southeast's 3-pointers. She was 5 of 8 from beyond the arc.

"It was great to see Allyson really knock down some shots," Margenthaler said. "That's been a part of our struggle, for any of our two-guards to be able to knock down shots. I hope it sets a tone for her the rest of the way."

Bradshaw's previous high-scoring performance had been 13 points against Arkansas State on Nov. 29. The three 3-pointers she hit that game were her most before Monday.

Bradshaw entered the night having made 19 3-pointers, second-most on the squad, while shooting 26.8 percent.

"For a couple of games I couldn't hit anything," Bradshaw said. "I've been working a lot at practice, figuring it would come."

Bradshaw, who has seen plenty of action off the bench all season, has been a solid addition to the Redhawks. She figures the experience she has gotten will pay off in the long run.

"That's what I came into this year to do, just wanting to learn to play at this level," she said.

Roberts had her third career double-double and first of the season with 10 points and 13 rebounds. Southeast dominated the boards 43-31, including 14-4 on the offensive glass.

"She was an X-factor tonight," Margenthaler said about Roberts.

Junior forward Brittany Harriel scored 15 points, while junior center Courtney Shiffer added nine points and nine rebounds.

Senior point guard Bianca Beck contributed seven points, six rebounds, six assists and three steals.

"It was a great team effort tonight," Roberts said.

Southeast, which statistically is the OVC's worst offensive team, had one of its better offensive performances of the season. The Redhawks shot 39.7 percent and scored their second-highest point total.

"We just moved the ball really well," Harriel said.

The Redhawks trailed 15-7 early and fell back behind 26-25 late in the first half after taking the lead.

Southeast then used a 10-0 run to assume command. Bradshaw scored seven of the points. Her 3-pointer with just less than three minutes left put the Redhawks ahead for good at 28-26.

It was 35-28 at halftime, and Southeast fended off every Austin Peay charge in the final period. The Redhawks made 7 of 10 free throws in the last 50 seconds to ice things.

"I thought we played great team basketball," Margenthaler said. "I thought this team really battled."

Southeast, which has seven OVC games remaining, returns to action Wednesday at first-place Eastern Illinois (17-4, 8-0) in a 7 p.m. tipoff.

The Redhawks lost the first meeting against the Panthers 73-46 on Jan. 14 in Cape Girardeau.