Redhawks women try to battle through injuries

~ Southeast won't have two of its three top scorers tonight

Southeast Missouri State women's basketball coach John Ishee knew the Redhawks faced a challenging season with such a young and inexperienced team.

Now that key injuries have entered the mix, things could start getting even tougher for the Redhawks.

Southeast lost freshman guard Jasmine Davis to a season-ending knee injury less than two weeks ago. Davis was the team's leading scorer at 10 points per game and the Ohio Valley Conference's top free-throw shooter at 87.7 percent.

And now the status of junior wing Lauren Sharpe is up in the air, both for the immediate future and the remainder of the year.

Sharpe, Southeast's top returning scorer from last season, already has missed one game due to back problems and Ishee isn't sure when she'll be able to play again. There is a chance Sharpe will have surgery, which would end her campaign.

Sharpe is Southeast's No. 3 scorer with a 7.2 average after averaging eight points last year. She leads the Redhawks in steals with 23 to rank sixth in the OVC in that department.

Ishee said Sharpe is doubtful to play in either of this week's games in Kentucky.

Southeast was crushed 67-39 on Saturday at Eastern Illinois while competing without Davis and Sharpe for the first time this season.

That started a stretch of three straight OVC road games for the Redhawks. Things don't figure to get any easier for the rest of that period. After facing third-place Eastern Illinois, Southeast visits the OVC co-leaders.

The Redhawks (5-9, 2-3) play OVC preseason favorite Morehead State (12-6, 5-1) at 4:15 p.m. today and Eastern Kentucky (8-7, 5-1) at 3 p.m. Saturday.

"It's a tough trip for us and it's going to be tough the rest of the year," said Ishee, whose squad is tied for sixth in the 10-team OVC. "But we're making some adjustments and we'll be competitive again."

Morehead State will test Southeast's perimeter defense today as the Eagles lead the nation in 3-pointers made per game (10.2). They also are the OVC's most accurate 3-point shooing club at 34.9 percent, led by three of the league's top six marksmen from beyond the arc.

"They've already attempted 525 3-pointers compared to our 242," Ishee said. "That lets you know they're going to transition and get up a lot of shots."

Chynna Bozeman, a 5-foot-10 junior guard and the OVC preseason player of year, is the league's top scorer at 17.7 points per game. She leads the conference in 3-pointers made (3.2), but is shooting just 29.8 percent from beyond the arc.

Tiffany Hamilton, a 5-8 senior guard, is second in the OVC in 3-point percentage (43.9) and 3-pointers made (2.6). She is the league's No. 7 scorer (12.6).

Ashar Harris, a 5-11 freshman forward, is the OVC's top rebounder (9.6).

"They're coming off a loss, so you know they're going to be ready to go," Ishee said.

After facing Morehead State, Southeast closes out the long road trip against the OVC's most surprising team so far.

Eastern Kentucky was picked to finish ninth in the conference but already has surpassed its overall and league win totals from last season.

"They're not a surprise to me," Ishee said. "I knew they had some really good players coming in to go with some good ones coming back. They're playing well."