Redhawks improve to 4-0

Southeast Missouri State junior Crysta Glenn says her teammates and coaches call her a "tweener," meaning that the way she plays is somewhat a cross between a guard and forward.

"In between," Glenn said, laughing. "I'm comfortable in the post area."

Glenn looked a little like a guard and a little like a forward against Cumberland (Tenn.) University on Tuesday night.

The junior college transfer came off the bench to score 11 points and collect six rebounds to help Southeast rally from six down in the first half to beat Cumberland 73-57 at the Show Me Center.

Southeast improved its record to 4-0. It is the first time in the program's Division I history that it has won its first four games. Cumberland, a NAIA program, dropped to 4-1.

Glenn scored nine of her career-best 11 points during the Redhawks' 23-5 run during the last 7 minutes and 38 seconds of the first half. The rally came after Southeast trailed 20-15.

"I saw we were down at a point, and I came in and I just continued to play hard and give all I've got and just help the team in any way I can," Glenn said.

Glenn, who is originally from San Diego and came to Southeast from Cowley County Community College where she averaged 11 points and eight rebounds per game in 2006-07, has been the Redhawks' best bench player so far. She is second on the team with 26 rebounds, behind only Sonya Daugherty, who has collected 27

During the run, Glenn hit two free throws, two layups and a 3-pointer to help put the Redhawks ahead 36-25 with 1:54 remaining in the half.

"You didn't know I could do that, huh?" an energized Glenn said jokingly about her 3-pointer, which now makes her 2-for-2 from behind the arc this season. "It's just the feeling. I caught it open, shot it, let it go, it looked good."

Missy Whitney, who scored 21 points and grabbed nine rebounds, said Glenn has been an important player off the bench.

"She's a big help off the bench with rebounding, which we need more of, and offensive-wise, too," Whitney said. "That's what we had been lacking -- the rebounding. And then when she got in -- that was basically what she needed to come in and do."

In the first eight minutes, the Redhawks were outrebounded 15-5. And at that point, Southeast did not have an offensive rebound. During the 23-5 run, the Redhawks outrebounded the Bulldogs 13-4.

"We boxed out a little better, we attacked the ball better, and there weren't as many long rebounds," Southeast coach John Ishee said. "Long rebounds are sometimes hard to get. I said at the halftime I was really irritated that we allowed 11 offensive rebounds in the first half. So it's been a point of emphasis all year for us, and will continue to be so."

The other thing which the Redhawks did to cool down Cumberland toward the end of the first half was to contain Bulldogs speedy guard Chalqualia Gaten.

After scoring six points in the first 14 minutes, Gaten netted only four more points for the game. Ishee had Ashley Lovelady on Gaten in the first half, but then moved Szandra Pal on her during the second.

"For the most part, we wanted to keep longer people on her," Ishee said. "And we backed off half a step and we gapped more from the wings. And we talked about, 'OK, keep her in front.'"

The Redhawks controlled the second half, leading by as many as 21 points at 51-30.

Point guard Tarina Nixon, who has had back problems, again did not start for the Redhawks, playing just four minutes in the second half. Ishee said playing her in the second was just to get her some time and he said he told her not to go full force.

Lovelady started at point guard in her absence.

Daugherty added 14 points for Southeast.