Redhawks repeat as OVC champions

~ The Redhawks polished off a 16-4 conference season with an 85-50 victory.

JACKSONVILLE, Ala. -- Southeast Missouri State's women left no doubt regarding their second straight Ohio Valley Conference regular-season championship.

And as an added bonus, this time the Redhawks won't have to share their crown.

The Redhawks jumped on host Jacksonville State from the outset Saturday night and romped 85-50 in their regular-season finale.

Along with the victory came an OVC title repeat -- in a season when not many people expected it -- and, unlike last year, no co-championship, thanks to Murray State's loss at Tennessee-Martin.

Southeast, which improved to 21-7 overall and 16-4 in conference play, finishes one game ahead of the Racers.

"It's a great feeling, especially because everybody counted us out [before the season]," senior center Lachelle Lyles said. "It feels good to be on top again, and it's even better that we don't have to share it."

The Redhawks will enter the eight-team conference tournament as the No. 1 seed. Southeast hosts No. 8 Austin Peay at 7 p.m. Tuesday in a first-round game.

"That's our next goal, to win the tournament," junior guard Ashley Lovelady said.

Southeast shared the OVC regular-season title last year -- the program's first -- with Tennessee Tech. The Redhawks went on to capture their initial OVC tournament crown and make the NCAA Division I tournament for the first time.

But after graduating four starters from that squad, the Redhawks were picked just fifth in the league's preseason poll. Further clouding things was head coach B.J. Smith's suspension and then resignation amid turmoil and controversy.

Instead of taking a step back, as many expected, the Redhawks claimed the program's first outright OVC regular-season championship.

"It's a tremendous accomplishment for this great group of young ladies," Southeast acting head coach John Ishee said. "They deserve so much credit for fighting through everything that's gone on this year. So do [assistant coaches] Lisa Pace and Jenni Lingor, and everybody else associated with the program.

"We were very resilient all year. You can never underestimate the heart of a champion."

Added Ishee: "This is something that nobody can ever take away from them. No matter what happens in the [OVC] tournament, it's been a tremendous season."

The Redhawks ended the regular season on a six-game winning streak, including three consecutive road triumphs. They went 10-0 in OVC home games, along with a 6-4 conference road record.

"It's a great feeling to win the championship again, especially since nobody thought we could do it," said sophomore point guard Tarina Nixon, the Redhawks' only returning starter from last year.

Nixon, nursing a sore groin, continued her torrid shooting pace from 3-point range. She made two 3-pointers in the opening 2 minutes, giving the Redhawks a 6-0 lead they never relinquished.

Nixon finished the game 5-for-9 on 3-pointers -- including four of six in the first half -- and scored 18 points. She added five assists and three steals.

Over her last three games, Nixon has made 11 of 17 3-pointers. Nixon entered play Saturday ranked second in the OVC at 41.4 percent, but she now probably leads the conference.

"Tarina has been shooting the ball great, and she's a real warrior, because she's playing hurt," Ishee said.

Sophomore guard Sonya Daugherty matched Nixon with 18 points. She also had five steals.

Junior forward Missy Whitney scored 14 points and grabbed nine rebounds.

"It's a great feeling to win the championship. It's what I came here for," said Whitney, a junior college transfer.

Lovelady, also a juco transfer, was a fourth double-figure scorer for Southeast with 11 points.

"It's exciting, winning the championship when people didn't think we could," Lovelady said. "It's exactly what I came here for."

Lyles, the nation's leading rebounder at more than 17 per game, pulled down 20 boards and broke the OVC single-season record for total rebounds. It was her eighth game this year of 20 or more rebounds.

With 467 rebounds, Lyles surpassed the previous mark of 448 set by Middle Tennessee State's Robin Hendrix in 1980-81.

"A record is nice, but winning another championship is a lot better," said Lyles, who joined Nixon as Southeast's only returning players with significant experience.

Leading 40-29 at halftime, Southeast buried the struggling Gamecocks (7-22, 4-16) in the second half and twice led by 39 points.

"We didn't want to let up," Whitney said.

Now that another OVC regular-season title is out of the way, the Redhawks will set their sights on a return trip to the NCAA tournament -- the reward that goes to the winner of the conference tourney.

"We'll enjoy this first and start worrying about the tournament Sunday night," said Ishee, whose squad faced a bus trip back to Cape Girardeau of nearly eight hours. "This group deserves to celebrate."