Southeast hosts another MVC team

After three straight home wins to start the season, the Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team received a rude awakening in its first road test.

National power Florida State, from the tradition-rich Atlantic Coast Conference, hammered the Redhawks 62-31 on Tuesday.

The Redhawks will try to rebound from their initial defeat today when Indiana State visits the Show Me Center for a 7 p.m. tipoff.

"We've got to bounce back and learn from it," Southeast coach John Ishee said.

Southeast already has beaten two formidable opponents during its 3-1 start, defending Sun Belt Conference West Division champion Arkansas-Little Rock and Missouri State.

ELIZABETH DODD ~ edodd@semissourian.comSoutheast senior Crysta Glenn tries for a steal against Central Arkansas earlier this season.

Both those games hung in the balance down the stretch, and Ishee wouldn't be surprised if the same happens tonight.

Indiana State, like Missouri State, is a member of the Missouri Valley Conference. The MVC is rated higher than the Ohio Valley Conference, which Southeast competes in.

The Sycamores went 14-15 last season, but stunned nationally ranked Vanderbilt.

ISU lost two all-conference players from a year ago and is off to a 1-2 start, with one of the defeats coming against defending WNIT champion Marquette.

"They're well-coached and they'll be plenty good," Ishee said.

Southeast's Amber Holmes drives to the basket.

ISU is led offensively by Kelsey Luna, a 5-foot-5 junior guard who is averaging 20 points per game.

Leah Phillips, a 5-7 senior guard, is next with a 12.3 average.

Phillips is shooting 43.8 percent from 3-point range (7 of 16), while Luna is at 40.7 percent (11 of 27).

Another impressive guard for the Sycamores is 5-10 senior Kara Schilli, a product of Valle Catholic High School in Ste. Genevieve, Mo. Schilli has a team-leading 13 assists.

"They've got very good guards," Ishee said. "Luna is an excellent player."

Southeast has been led by 5-10 senior forward Crysta Glenn, who is off to a monster start.

Glenn was solid in her first season at Southeast last year, averaging 6.3 points and 6.0 rebounds per game in a part-time starting role.

A full-time starter now, the former junior college transfer leads the Redhawks with averages of 15.5 points and 9.3 rebounds.

After shooting 55.9 percent from the free-throw line as a junior, Glenn has made 29 of 32 from the line for a sizzling 90.6 percent.

"Crysta has really improved," Ishee said. "She is playing very well."

Tonight's contest will be Southeast's final tuneup before beginning its OVC schedule.

The defending OVC regular-season champion Redhawks host Austin Peay on Thursday and Tennessee State two days later.

After that, there are no more conference games until January.

"We need to defend our home turf, have a really good game [tonight] and get ready for the OVC," Ishee said.