Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team will host Austin Peay

~ Austin Peay sits one spot above Redhawks in OVC standings

A major goal for the Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team is to qualify for the Ohio Valley Conference tournament this season.

The Redhawks failed to make the eight-team event the past two years, which led to a coaching change that resulted in Ty Margenthaler taking over the program.

The rebuilding Redhawks have struggled, but they have not given up on earning a tournament berth.

Southeast (4-17, 1-7) is 10th in the 11-team league halfway through its 16-game conference schedule, but the Redhawks still have time to move up in the standings.

"Our main goal is to make the conference tournament, something that hasn't been done in three years," Margenthaler said. "That would be a nice accomplishment, something good to carry us into the offseason."

The Redhawks host Austin Peay at 7 p.m. today, and the game is significanct if Southeast intends to climb the OVC standings.

The ninth-place Governors (5-17, 2-7) are directly in front of Southeast in the conference race. Southeast trails Austin Peay by just one-half game and would move ahead of the Govs with a win.

"It's an important game, no question about it," Margenthaler said.

Southeast suffered its fifth consecutive loss, 88-47 at defending OVC tournament champion Tennessee-Martin on Saturday. The Redhawks are 0-9 on the road this season. Three of their four wins have come at the Show Me Center, with the other victory at a neutral site.

Austin Peay also is struggling despite being among the OVC's better teams in recent years. The Govs have dropped five consecutive games, including an 82-77 home loss to Tennessee State on Saturday.

Today's game is one of three home dates remaining for the Redhawks.

"We don't have many home games left," Margenthaler said. "We need to take advantage of the games we do have here."