Redhawks will face Buffalo for first time

~ Southeast takes a four-game winning streak into tonight's road game.

Southeast Missouri State's women will step out of conference tonight for a game a long way from home.

The Redhawks hope they return to Cape Girardeau armed with a four-game winning streak.

Southeast, which swept a three-game homestand that concluded Tuesday, plays the University of Buffalo at 6 p.m. It will be the first meeting ever between the programs.

"We want to keep our streak going," senior center Lachelle Lyles said.

Added junior guard Ashley Lovelady, "We just want to keep playing good."

Southeast acting head coach John Ishee said the Redhawks are playing Buffalo basically because it's not all that easy to schedule nonconference games, especially after the type of season Southeast had last year, when it won the Ohio Valley Conference title.

Buffalo will play at the Show Me Center next season in the two-year agreement between the schools.

"Scheduling can be very tough, and when you're a mid-major and have some success, like Southeast had last year, it's hard to get people to come to your place," Ishee said. "We'll be a long way from home, but it'll be the same thing for them next year."

Ishee planned a bit more than just a basketball trip for the Redhawks, who are on winter break from classes. Southeast flew to Buffalo Wednesday morning.

"We're mainly going there to try and win a game, but I also want to reward them a little bit, make the trip about more than basketball," said Ishee, whose plans for the Redhawks included taking them to Niagra Falls.

Once the Redhawks hit the court tonight, Ishee is hoping they can continue their strong play.

Southeast improved to 6-4 overall and a second-place 3-1 in the OVC with Tuesday's 70-66 overtime win over preseason favorite Samford.s

Lovelady led the Redhawks offensively with 17 points, while Lyles continued her rampage on the boards with 25 rebounds.

Lyles, the nation's leading rebounder, increased her average to 16.1 per contest. She has pulled down 107 rebounds in her last "What Lachelle is doing is pretty remarkable," Ishee said. "She's just so relentless on the boards, but she's more than just a rebounder. She does a lot of things for us."

Junior forward Missy Whitney leads Southeast in scoring at 14 points per game, while Lovelady is also in double figures at 12.7 a contest. Both are junior college transfers.

Buffalo, a member of the Mid-American Conference, is 4-6 overall. The Bulls have not yet played a league game.

The Bulls went 10-18 last year in their first season under coach Linda Hill-MacDonald. That equaled Buffalo's win total from the previous two years combined. The Bulls' last winning season was 2002-03.

Buffalo has two double-figure scorers in 6-foot junior forward Heather Turner (12.6 ppg) and 5-8 junior guard Stephanie Bennett (11.8 ppg).

Turner also led the Bulls offensively last year with 14.3 points per game.

"They'll be well coached and very similar to a lot of teams we play in the OVC," Ishee said. "It would be great if we could keep our winning streak going. Every game we hope to grow and get better."

Following tonight's game, the Redhawks return home to take on NAIA Martin Methodist at 2 p.m. Thursday.

Southeast resumes OVC play Jan. 2 at Eastern Kentucky.