Redhawks visit former national champ Baylor

Southeast Missouri State's women have been competitive in losses to a pair of teams that advanced to the second round of last season's NCAA tournament.

Tonight the Redhawks (2-2) face their biggest challenge when they play at 13th-ranked Baylor (7-1), which won the 2004-05 national title and made last year's NCAA Sweet 16.

The tipoff in Waco, Texas, is set for 7 p.m. Baylor will play Southeast at the Show Me Center next year.

"I would think this is the best team we've played so far," said Southeast acting head coach John Ishee, who continues to run the team after fifth-year head coach B.J. Smith was placed on indefinite leave by the university prior to the season.

Continued Ishee: "They are very athletic, they have very good talent. They're just a really good team. It's going to be a big challenge for us, but I also think it's a good opportunity for us.

Baylor's Jessika Bradley shot during the Junkanoo Jam tournament.

"And them coming to the Show Me Center next year ... that's really great for our program, to host the national champion from two years ago."

The Redhawks lost by 13 points at Tulsa and by 13 points at home against Florida State. Both those squads won first-round NCAA tournament games last season.

But what Tulsa and Florida State achieved a year ago pales in comparison to what Baylor has accomplished since coach Kim Mulkey took over the program starting with the 2000-01 season.

The Bears have averaged 26 wins per season under Mulkey and have advanced to at least the NCAA Sweet 16 each of the past three years, including the program's first national title.

"They've really got a tremendous program, with a lot of support, and they draw very well," Ishee said.

Baylor has averaged more than 5,000 fans for its six home games, including a season-high 7,503 for a 64-60 victory over 11th-ranked LSU on Nov. 21. The Tigers were rated No. 9 before losing to the Bears.

The Bears' lone setback was to ninth-ranked Purdue 69-55 on Nov. 19. Baylor is outscoring its opponents by an average of 14 points per game, although the Bears needed a late basket Thursday night to slip past visiting Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 64-62.

Baylor is led by 6-foot-1 senior forward Bernice Mosby, a Florida transfer who is averaging 19.6 points and 9.8 rebounds in her first and only season with the Bears.

Mosby averaged a team-high 15.5 points two years ago at Florida before leaving the squad late in the season.

No other Baylor player is averaging in double figures, but five others are contributing at least 7.4 points per game.

Baylor is not as tall as the Florida State team that came to the Show Me Center earlier this year, but the Bears are outrebounding their opponents by an average of eight per contest.

"They rebound the ball extremely well," Ishee said. "We've got to try and keep them off the boards, we've got to stop transition and we've got to stop dribble penetration, because they're very good at that."

Southeast has been led offensively by its two junior college transfers.

Forward Missy Whitney is averaging 15.3 points, followed by guard Ashley Lovelady at 13.8.

Sophomore point guard Tarina Nixon, Southeast's only returning starter, is the Redhawks other double-figure scorer with a 10.5 average.

Senior center Lachelle Lyles is averaging a team-high 11.3 rebounds. Lyles and Nixon are the only two returning Redhawks who saw substantial action last year.

Tonight's game will mark the Redhawks' final tuneup before they begin Ohio Valley Conference play Thursday at Tennessee State.

Ishee hopes facing the likes of Baylor, Florida State and Tulsa will have helped prepare Southeast to defend its OVC title.

"That's the plan," Ishee said. "Any time you can play a Baylor or a Florida State or a Tulsa, it gives you an opportunity not only to see where you're at, but where you need to be at conference time."