Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team will close season at Murray State

The Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team will look to cap off its improved season with a win Saturday.

Southeast visits Murray State at 4:45 p.m. in the regular-season finale for both squads.

While MSU (16-11, 8-7 Ohio Valley Conference) has qualified for next week's OVC tournament, Southeast (10-18, 4-11) failed to make the eight-team event for the fourth straight year.

But the Redhawks, 10th in the 12-team conference, have posted their most wins since the 2008-09 campaign and they have equaled their most OVC victories since that season.

"A rivalry game. ... we need a win for the offseason, to feel good," said second-year Southeast coach Ty Margenthaler, whose squad has lost 10 of its last 12 games. "One more chance for our seniors to go out with a win. It's a chance to get to five OVC wins, which these seniors have never done before."

Southeast had one its more impressive performances of the season in the first meeting with MSU on Jan. 7 at the Show Me Center. The Redhawks led virtually all the way and rolled to a 70-58 victory.

The sixth-place Racers have two of the OVC's top scorers in 5-foot-8 senior guard Mariah Robinson and 5-6 freshman guard Erika Sisk.

Robinson ranks fourth in the league at 16.3 points per game. Her 84 3-pointers are second-most in the OVC and she ranks eighth in 3-point percentage at 37.7.

Sisk, who will likely be voted OVC freshman of the year next week, is the league's No. 8 scorer with a 14.2 average.

"They're a good team," Margenthaler said.

Sophomore guard Allyson Bradshaw said the Redhawks, loaded with underclassmen, would love to carry the momentum of a victory into the offseason.

"We want to go out with a bang," she said.