Southeast women seek 4-0 start

The Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team has a chance to make history today.

Southeast never before has started a season with four straight wins on the Division I level.

The Redhawks will get that chance when NAIA power Cumberland (Tenn.) University visits the Show Me Center for a 5 p.m. tipoff.

Southeast's last 4-0 start came in 1990-91, during the program's final Division II season. That squad started 6-0 on its way to a second-place finish in the national tournament.

"It would be good to start out 4-0," said Southeast coach John Ishee, whose team is coming off Saturday's 91-60 victory at Central Arkansas. "It would be a nice accomplishment for us."

But Ishee warned not to expect an automatic win today, even though the Redhawks will be facing a lower-division opponent.

Cumberland finished second in the NAIA national tournament last year, and the Bulldogs are off to a dominant 4-0 start this season, having outscored their opponents by an average of 83.3 to 64.5.

"They'll have a good team," Ishee said. "They'll be athletic, big. They'll be very formidable."

NAIA All-American Renae Williams, a 5-foot-11 senior forward, is off to a monster start for the Bulldogs. She is averaging 28 points and 11.5 rebounds, while shooting 59.7 percent.

"They'll have some very good players," Ishee said.

Southeast's only close call so far this season came against a lower-division opponent as the Redhawks edged Division II Henderson State 59-58 last week.

Taking that into account, Ishee expects the Redhawks to give Cumberland its proper respect.

"I would certainly hope so," Ishee said. "We'll talk about that. You just can't overlook anybody."

Noteworthy

• Anyone 18 and under receives free admission to today's contest as part of "Take a Kid to the Game Night."