Southeast women to play two games at Tulane

It has been a month since the Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team last beat a fellow Division I squad.

The Redhawks hope that changes this weekend as they participate in the Double Tree Classic hosted by Tulane University in New Orleans.

Southeast plays Providence of the Big East Conference at 3 p.m. today, then takes on either Tulane or Alabama State at 1 p.m. or 3 p.m. Sunday.

"It's going to be a tough tournament, but we're looking forward to it," Southeast coach John Ishee said. "It will be two good tests for us."

The Redhawks are 4-5 overall and 0-2 in the Ohio Valley Conference. Their last win over a Division I team came Nov. 21 against Arkansas-Little Rock.

FRED LYNCH ~ flynch@semissourian.comSoutheast Missouri State's Tarina Nixon shoots as Tennessee State's Tiffany Jackson defends in the first half Saturday at the Show Me Center.

That victory pushed the Redhawks' record to 3-0, but since then they've lost five of six, the lone victory against NAIA Bethel College.

"We need a win," Ishee said. "But I feel a lot better about our team than I did a couple of weeks ago. I think we're going to be a good basketball team."

Southeast has been hampered by a knee injury to senior wing Sonya Daugherty, among the squad's top scorers since her sophomore season.

Daugherty missed both OVC games. She has played sparingly in the past two contests.

Ishee said Daugherty's health is improving daily, and she will continue to increase her playing time in the hopes of being at full strength when conference play resumes Jan. 3.

Southeast Missouri State's Crysta Glenn, left, fights for a rebound during a 73-54 victory against NAIA Bethel College on Dec. 10 at the Show Me Center. The 19-point victory marks Southeast's lone win in its last six games. ELIZABETH DODDedodd@ semissourian.com

"She's getting more and more confidence with the knee," Ishee said.

Another top player, senior point guard Tarina Nixon, recently re-aggravated a finger injury that has bothered her much of the season. Nixon has been held out of practice this week, but Ishee is hopeful she'll be ready to go this weekend.

Providence enters today's matchup with a 5-4 record. The Friars have yet to play a Big East game.

The Friars are led offensively by 6-foot-1 sophomore forward Mi-Khida Hankins with an average of 13.3 points per game.

Also in double figures for the Friars are 5-8 senior guard Chelsea Marandola (11.9 ppg) and 6-4 junior forward Emily Cournoyer (10.2 ppg).

Providence has been among the Big East's worst teams in recent years, winning just 10 conference games the past five seasons combined. But Ishee emphasized that Providence is a solid squad that competes in one of the nation's elite conferences.

"The Big East is as good a league as there is in the country," Ishee said. "It's going to be a really good challenge for us, and so will the next day regardless who we play."

Tulane, which competes in Conference USA, is 6-3 and has won five straight.

Alabama State of the Southwestern Athletic Conference is just 1-7, but the win came over defending OVC tournament champion Murray State.

Fite should be back

Southeast's roster should be bolstered this weekend by the return of sophomore guard Tore Fite, who was academically ineligible for the first semester.

Fite, who saw limited action last year but was ticketed for a bigger role this season, is expected to be available today.