Southeast women try to extend road streak

~ Redhawks are 3-0 in OVC road games this season.

After playing three of its past four Ohio Valley Conference games on the road, the Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team faces three more OVC road contests.

The way the season has gone so far, maybe that's not such a bad thing.

Southeast (9-6, 4-2) is 1-2 in OVC games at the Show Me Center, while the Redhawks sport a 3-0 league record away from home.

The Redhawks will try to extend their conference road winning streak today when they visit slumping Austin Peay (4-11, 1-5) for a 5:15 p.m. tipoff in Clarksville, Tenn.

After today's contest, the Redhawks will head back out on the road next week for games Thursday at Tennessee State and Saturday at Tennessee Tech.

"We knew going into the season that we had a rough stretch to start the conference schedule," said Southeast coach John Ishee, whose squad plays just five of its first 14 OVC games at home.

As the Redhawks chase their third straight OVC regular-season title, Ishee knows it's important for them to stay within striking distance of the top spot until they close the year with five of six games at home.

"We're trying to keep our head above water and stay in the race," said Ishee.

So far, the problem for Southeast has been keeping its head above water at the Show Me Center.

After starting the conference schedule with a home loss to Tennessee State, the Redhawks suffered another defeat Monday as Murray State built an 18-point halftime lead and held on for a 71-68 victory.

"Now it's even more important we do well on the road because we've lost two at home," Ishee said. "Losing at home is really disappointing."

The Governors, who have lost eight straight games, are in a three-way tie for last place in the 11-team conference.

But Ishee remembers how much trouble Southeast had with the Govs last year.

The Govs handed the Redhawks their worst OVC loss of the season, 75-60 in Clarksville. And during the opening round of the league tournament, Southeast squeezed out a 58-54 win.

"They really put it to us at their place last year," Ishee said. "I don't know why they're struggling, but they've got some good players and I don't expect an easy game."

Austin Peay is led by 5-foot-9 freshman wing Ashley Herring, the younger sister of Southeast men's leading scorer Jaycen Herring.

Herring is the Govs' lone double-figure scorer at 11.8 points per game. She also leads them in rebounding with 6.3 per contest and in 3-point shooting (42.9 percent on 21-of-49).

Southeast is in a three-way tie for second place in the OVC. The Redhawks are even in the loss column with leader Eastern Illinois (6-2) after the Panthers were upset at home by Tennessee-Martin on Thursday.

The Redhawks know if they are to remain on the Panthers' heels, they'll have to put together a much better start than they did Monday against Murray State.

"We've got to get focused and come ready to play," said Southeast junior wing Sonya Daugherty, the OVC's No. 7 scorer with a 15.4 average. "We have to learn from that first half."