Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team tries to build win streak

The Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team, fresh off its first Ohio Valley Conference win of the season, will look to make it two straight today.

Southeast continues its three-game homestand when Murray State visits for a 6:30 p.m. tipoff.

The Redhawks (6-8, 1-1) are coming off Saturday's strong 71-57 victory over Austin Peay that snapped a season-high three-game losing streak. The Redhawks shot 47.4 percent from the field, their highest figure this year.

Southeast's triumph also allowed the Redhawks to improve to 1-1 in the OVC for the first time since early in the 2010-11 season.

Today the Redhawks will attempt to move over .500 in conference play for the first time since the 2008-09 campaign. Their next win also will match their victory total from all of coach Ty Margenthaler's first season last year, when Southeast went 7-22.

"It's good to get a win [in the OVC] this early," senior guard Bailie Roberts said following Saturday's victory.

Southeast, 4-1 at home this season, will look to continue its strong Show Me Center play against MSU (8-5, 1-1), which is coming off Saturday's surprising 82-72 win at defending OVC regular-season and two-time defending OVC tournament champion Tennessee-Martin.

"Murray State is a really good basketball team," Margenthaler said.

The Racers, who have won eight of their last 10 games, feature the OVC's third-leading scorer in 5-foot-8 senior guard Mariah Robinson with a 17.1 average.

Robinson is shooting 40.9 percent from 3-point range (38 of 93) to rank fourth in the OVC. She is the school's all-time leader in 3-pointers made with 212, having broken the record Saturday against UT-Martin.

Also averaging double-figure points for the Racers are 5-6 junior guard Erica Burgess (12 ppg) and 5-6 freshman gaurd Erika Sisk (11.5 ppg).

"They have really good guard play," Margenthaler said.

MSU went 13-18 overall and 8-8 in OVC play last year, finishing fifth in what was then an 11-team league. The Racers are picked to finish fourth in the six-team OVC West Division, with Southeast tabbed for the basement.

Burgess led the 2011-12 Racers offensively with a 16.8 average, followed by Robinson at 14.0. Burgess was a second-team all-OVC selection while Robinson set the school single-season record for 3-pointers made and attempted.

The Racers won a pair of close matchups with Southeast last year, 80-75 in Cape Girardeau and 63-62 in Murray, Ky. Burgess was the top scorer in both games with 23 and 21 points, respectively.

"They swept us last year, but both games were really close," Margenthaler said. "We're at home, where we've played well so far. We need to protect our home court."

Following today's contest, Southeast concludes its homestand against nonconference opponent Saint Louis University at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday.