Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team set to open conference play

The Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team has put its rugged, road-heavy nonconference schedule in its rearview mirror for good.

Now first-year coach Ty Margenthaler's Redhawks can concentrate on Ohio Valley Conference play beginning today with a 5:30 p.m. tipoff against Morehead State.

Southeast plays five of its first six OVC games at home, including its first three, a welcomed respite for a squad that had 10 of its 13 nonleague contests away from Cape Girardeau.

"It's been a tough stretch for us. We really had a challenging nonconference schedule. We put in a lot of miles," Margenthaler said. "But I believe what we went through has made us a better basketball team and we're excited about starting the conference schedule."

The Redhawks are just 3-10, but Margenthaler believes they steadily have improved. He'll begin to find out just how much when they attack their OVC schedule.

Southeast is picked to finish last in the 11-team OVC, no surprise given the program's recent struggles.

The Redhawks went a combined 15-42 overall and 8-28 in conference play over the past two seasons, finishing last in the league in 2009-10 and next-to-last a season ago.

"That's based on what we've done the past few years," Margenthaler said. "But now everybody starts off the same, and I really feel like we can surprise some people."

Southeast has played well during its slim home schedule, winning two of three games at the Show Me Center.

"We have played well at home so far. Hopefully we can get off to a good start," Margenthaler said.

Morehead, picked to finish fifth in the OVC, is 3-9. The Eagles feature one of the conference's top inside players in 5-foot-11 junior forward Ashar Harris.

Harris leads the league with 12 rebounds per game, which ranks among the national leaders, while averaging 11.5 points. She has recorded five double-doubles.

Harris averaged 14.1 points and was third nationally with 12.3 boards last year. The second-team all-OVC performer also was third in the nation with 22 double-doubles.

The Eagles are the OVC's second-most prolific 3-point shooting team, having made 95 from beyond the arc, but they are hitting just 28.7 percent.