Southeast women face challenge in So. Miss.

~ The basketball team will host Ishee's alma mater tonight

The competition level will increase significantly for the Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team tonight as coach John Ishee goes up against his alma mater.

Southeast hosts a strong University of Southern Mississippi squad in a 7 p.m. tipoff at the Show Me Center.

"They'll be a major challenge for us," said Ishee, a USM graduate who was an assistant with the Eagles from 1991 through 1994.

Ishee's young, inexperienced Redhawks opened the season Friday night with a 66-53 home win over Division II Missouri-St. Louis.

The Redhawks, with nine freshmen and just one senior on their 13-player roster, were led offensively by three of those first-year players.

Guard Jasmine Davis scored 13 points, followed by forward Bailie Roberts with 12 points and wing Katie Norman with 10.

USM began its season Saturday with a 72-53 home victory over South Alabama.

The Eagles are coming off a 20-12 campaign that saw them go 11-5 in Conference USA and reach the title game of the league tournament. They rolled past Southeast 64-47 last year in Hattiesburg, Miss.

USM returned just one starter from last season, but she's a good one: 6-foot senior forward Pauline Love earned first-team all-conference honors.

Love averaged a double-double as a junior with 15.5 points and 10.4 rebounds per game. She had 19 points and 17 rebounds in the win over Southeast.

Love got her season off to a dazzling start with 26 points and 14 boards against South Alabama.

Candace Rucker, a 5-10 senior guard, added 14 points against South Alabama.

"Love is a great player. She and Rucker are both pro prospects," Ishee said. "They're a really talented team that is well coached. They'll be a handful."

After tonight, the Redhawks see their first road action as they face Missouri Valley Conference teams in two straight games away from the Show Me Center.

Southeast visits Missouri State on Saturday and Indiana State on Nov. 24. The Redhawks split with those squads last season at home, beating Missouri State and losing to Indiana State.

"We've got some very tough games coming up," Ishee said.