Redhawks nip Eagles with top gun on sideline

~ Southeast women pull out a 50-48 road win despite Whitney nursing an elbow injury.

MOREHEAD, Ky. -- The Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team does whatever is necessary to win games.

What was necessary for the Redhawks on Thursday was to get by without their leading scorer, rebounder and shot-blocker.

Mission accomplished.

The Redhawks kept their Ohio Valley Conference road record perfect and stayed on top of the OVC standings without senior center Missy Whitney. Southeast first rallied past and then held off Morehead State 50-48.

"We had to step up without Missy," junior guard Sonya Daugherty said.

The Redhawks (16-6, 11-2) posted their seventh consecutive victory and have won 12 of their last 13 games as they chase their third straight OVC regular-season championship.

"I think it's our experience, and coach always talks about having the will to win," junior point guard Tarina Nixon said of Southeast's knack for winning regardless of the situation.

Whitney, the OVC preseason player of the year, suffered a sprained elbow in practice this week.

Whitney spent Thursday's game on the bench in street clothes, her left arm in a sling.

"I don't think it was deflating," junior forward Crysta Glenn said of playing without Whitney. "We just knew we had to step up."

Nixon said the Redhawks knew what to expect without Whitney on the court because she also missed their first two OVC games in early December, which Southeast split.

Southeast coach John Ishee said Whitney's status for Saturday's game at Eastern Kentucky is uncertain.

Ishee liked what he saw from his eight players who saw action.

"I thought we played with great heart and togetherness," said Ishee, whose squad is 8-0 in OVC road games. "I thought everybody who stepped on the court contributed."

Ishee gave special credit to senior guard Ashley Lovelady and Nixon, who he felt helped bond the squad.

"Ashley's and Tarina's leadership, for having that group ready to play, you can't put a stat line on that," Ishee said.

Nixon led the Redhawks with 19 points, 12 in the second half. She hit 7-of-12 field-goal attempts, while the rest of the squad went 14-of-48.

Daugherty, Southeast's second-leading scorer who has struggled lately, matched her season average with 13 points, even though she shot just 5-of-17. Daugherty added seven rebounds, six steals and three assists.

"I've been in a big-time slump," said Daugherty, who had averaged seven points in her last five games. "I'm coming out of it, slowly."

Glenn, who recently moved into the starting lineup after being Southeast's first player off the bench much of the season, filled in for Whitney on Thursday.

The junior college transfer and Southeast's No. 2 rebounder responded with a career-high 14 boards as the Redhawks controlled the glass by a 44-31 count.

"Since we were missing our big presence inside, I knew I had to help out on the boards," said Glenn, who had eight offensive rebounds.

Junior forward Rachel Blunt had all six of her points in the second half, including the basket that put Southeast ahead for good early in the period.

Reserve junior guard Szandra Pal, scoreless in her last five games, contributed four second-half points.

Southeast shot 26.7 percent in the first half and had nine turnovers as MSU (7-15, 5-8) led 22-13 with under 2 minutes remaining.

The Redhawks scored the final seven points of the period to enter the break down just 22-20.

Southeast shot better in the second half (43.3 percent), had only two turnovers and continued its strong defense. MSU shot 36.2 percent in the game.

The Redhawks steadily pulled away and threatened a blowout when they led 46-32 with under 6 minutes left.

But MSU used a 16-4 run to make it 50-48, and the Eagles had possession in the closing seconds.

But Nixon, who missed two front ends of one-and-ones in the final minute, forced a held ball with four-tenths of a second remaining.

The possession arrow pointed toward Southeast, and the Redhawks threw an inbound pass to run out the clock.

"That was a great win for us," Ishee said.