Redhawks hope to take valuable lessonfrom one-point win to Central Arkansas

As disappointed as John Ishee was with his team's most recent performance, he figures something good might come from it.

Ishee, Southeast Missouri State's women's basketball coach, believes Tuesday's 59-58 survival against Division II Henderson State should have been a good learning experience.

"If it's not, then I don't know what is," Ishee said.

If the 2-0 Redhawks learned their lessons, they'll come totally prepared for today's 4 p.m. game against 0-2 Central Arkansas in Conway, Ark.

"We have to be," Ishee said. "We're not a dominant team. We have to scratch and claw. And they almost beat us at our place last year."

In Southeast's second game last season, first-year Division I member Central Arkansas dropped a 64-60 decision at the Show Me Center.

The Sugar Bears are a different team than the one that gave Southeast a battle last season.

Central Arkansas returned only one player who averaged more than five points per game.

So far this year, the Sugar Bears have lost to Missouri-Kansas City 73-63 and at Tennessee-Martin 78-65.

Meaghen Kelleybrew, a 6-foot sophomore guard, leads Central Arkansas in scoring at 15.5 points per game. Also in double figures is 5-10 freshman guard Meagan Nickell (12 ppg).

Central Arkansas, which went 14-14 in its inaugural Division I season last year, is picked to finish fourth in its division of the 12-team Southland Conference.

Meanwhile, Southeast is looking for the program's first 3-0 start since the 1994-95 season.