Redhawks enter as heavy favorites in OVC

The Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team will be the hunted instead of the hunter this year.

But the Redhawks don't believe they'll feel any undue pressure as they chase the program's third straight Ohio Valley Conference regular-season and tournament championships.

"I know we'll get everybody's best shot, being picked No. 1," senior forward/center Missy Whitney said. "But we're just going to approach things the same way we did last year."

A year ago the Redhawks were picked fifth in the OVC preseason poll, but repeated as regular-season and tournament champions on their way to a 24-8 record that is the program's best on the Division I level.

With four returning starters -- they all averaged in double figures -- the Redhawks are heavy favorites to three-peat as they were the near-unanimous No. 1 pick in the OVC preseason poll.

Southeast's Ashley Lovelady started 31 of the Redhawks' 32 games last season. She averaged 10.1 points and 3.4 rebounds per game. (Aaron Eisenhauer)

"We expected it, but it doesn't really matter once you take the court," second-year coach John Ishee said. "We'll get everybody's best shot. We know that everybody will be gunning for us.

"It's not going to be easy [to win another title], and it's not like we beat everybody bad last year. We won 11 [OVC] games by eight points or less [eight in the regular season and three in the conference tournament]. But I know we'll be ready to take a run at it once the conference schedule starts."

Whitney is the OVC's preseason player of the year after she averaged 13.2 points and 7.8 rebounds a year ago.

Junior guard/forward Sonya Daugherty is back after leading last season's squad with a 14.2 scoring average, while other returning starters are junior point guard Tarina Nixon (11 ppg, team-high 103 assists) and senior guard Ashley Lovelady (10.1 ppg).

Two other key players return in junior forward Rachel Blunt (5 ppg) and junior guard Szandra Pal (2 ppg), while also back are junior guard Mathilde Dufour (1.7 ppg) and sophomore guard Mikal Bencomo (0.3 ppg).

Southeast 's Sonya Daugherty earned the most valuable player award in the Ohio Valley Conference tournament last season after averaging 19.8 points per game. (Kit Doyle)

Ishee believes a solid recruiting class will add needed depth, which is something the Redhawks lacked last season.

Southeast's six newcomers include two junior college transfers, a sophomore who practiced with the team last year and three freshmen.

The juco transfers are forward Crysta Glenn and guard Tierra Johnson, while forward Kaitlyn Peddie practiced a year ago but was not eligible for games.

Freshmen additions are forward Rochelle Ikeni, guard/forward Lauren Sharpe and guard Tore Fite.

"I think we've got a solid group," Ishee said.

But the reigning OVC coach of the year does have his concerns, most notably the loss of national rebounding leader Lachelle Lyles, who averaged 17 boards per game.

"My biggest concern is where we're going to get 17 rebounds a night from, and the toughness that Lachelle brought to our program," Ishee said. "I'm also concerned about our lack of size underneath."

Still, the Redhawks are confident as they shoot for the program's third consecutive NCAA tournament berth.

"We're excited, but we're just taking it one day at a time," Lovelady said. "We're not getting too far ahead."