Southeast women play final exhibition

~ The Redhawks basketball team looks to tighten its defense against Bethel

Southeast Missouri State women's basketball coach John Ishee was not particularly upset with Thursday's 81-76 exhibition loss to Missouri Baptist.

Ishee probably won't have the same feeling if the Redhawks fall to another NAIA opponent in their final exhibition game tonight.

Ishee will be looking for a better result when the Redhawks face Bethel (Tenn.) in a 7 p.m. tipoff at the Show Me Center.

"I think we need to win a game because this team hasn't had a lot of success," said Ishee, whose squad is coming off one of the worst seasons in program history, going 7-21 and finishing last in the Ohio Valley Conference.

The Redhawks want to have a good taste in their mouths entering Friday's season opener against Sam Houston State in the Mississippi tournament.

In order to accomplish that, Southeast will have to improve its defense tonight. Missouri Baptist blistered the nets for nearly 56 percent shooting, including 50 percent from 3-point range (10 of 20).

"We didn't do a lot of good things defensively," Ishee said. "The difference in the game was transition defense. We gave them too many open shots."

Bethel, from McKenzie, Tenn., already has played three games. The Wildcats, ranked 19th in the most recent NAIA national poll, are 3-0 with their smallest victory margin being 18 points.

The Wildcats went 22-12 last year and reached the NAIA national tournament for the second straight season.

Southeast played Bethel in the regular season a year ago, winning 73-60 after trailing by three points at halftime.