Southeast Missouri State basketball teams will debut with exhibition

~ Both the men and women will play games tonight at the Show Me Center

Southeast Missouri State basketball teams have a final chance to test themselves against outside competition before the season begins.

Both Southeast squads play their only exhibition games today at the Show Me Center, the women against Harris-Stowe at 5:30 p.m. and the men against Harding at 7:30 p.m.

Each team elected to face a fellow Division I squad in a closed scrimmage instead of a second exhibition against a non-Division I opponent. The men played Lipscomb and the women squared off with Evansville.

Both Southeast teams open the regular season Friday. The men visit Missouri, while the women will play at North Carolina State.

Men vs. Harding

Third-year Southeast coach Dickey Nutt likes the way the Redhawks are progressing.

"We've got a long way to go, but I feel like we're getting better every day," Nutt said.

Nutt said he believes the Redhawks will get a nice test from Harding. The Bisons, from Searcy, Ark., are coming off a 25-5 season in which they won the championship in their final year as a member of the Gulf South Conference.

"I felt like we needed to play somebody good, somebody that will challenge us," said Nutt, whose squad had little trouble in its two exhibition contests a year ago.

Harding, picked to finish second in the inaugural season for men's basketball in the Great American Conference, lost its top three scorers from a year ago.

The Bisons' top returning scorers are 6-foot-5 senior forward Kirk Porter and 6-foot junior guard Bradley Spencer, who both averaged 9.5 points per game last season.

Nutt said the Redhawks' approach for exhibition games is first to win and second to get all his players some minutes.

"We always want to win every time we step on the court," Nutt said.

Women vs. Harris-Stowe

First-year Southeast coach Ty Margenthaler has been encouraged by his team so far.

"I'm excited. I see a lot of growth. I think we've come a long way, but we still have a long way to go," Margenthaler said. "It [playing Harris-Stowe] will give us a chance to put the uniforms on, get in front of a crowd, see where we're at."

One of the Redhawks' key players will not see action today, and Margenthaler is concerned about her status for the season.

Junior guard Katie Norman continues to be bothered by back problems that have lingered for several months. She tied for the team high with 8.9 points per game, while leading the squad with 31 made 3-pointers last season. She also was second in assists (46) and steals (31).

"She's been struggling with it for a while. She's got a couple of doctor appointments. We're kind of keeping our fingers crossed," Margenthaler said.

Harris-Stowe, an NAIA program from St. Louis, went 3-28 while finishing last in the American Midwest Conference at 1-15 last season.

The Hornets, coached by Southeast graduate Dennis Griffin, are picked to finish seventh in the eight-team AMC this season.

Harris-Stowe's top returning player is 5-7 senior guard Tonette Murphy, who averaged 12 points, five rebounds, 3.7 steals and 2.4 assists per game last year.