Final two home games for Redhawks WBB bring talented tilts to Cape Girardeau

It is the final four games of the conference season, and Southeast Missouri State women’s basketball is in dire straits as it searches for a way out of the Ohio Valley Conference cellar down the homestretch.

SEMO began conference play at 2-1 and now sits at 2-14. The Redhawks are tied with SIU Edwardsville at the Ohio Valley floor trying for an uphill climb back into conference contention. As it currently stands, Tennessee State holds the final tournament spot as the No. 8 seed at 4-13.

The first year for SEMO coach Briley Palmer has not been a pleasant one as the Redhawks rank second-to-last in both offense and defense.

Entering a two-game weekend, the final two games to be played at the Show Me Center this season, the Redhawks are down to their final four opportunities to claim wins this year, needing probably three to claim sole possession of a tournament bid at the going rate.

It all starts Thursday, Feb. 20, when they host Western Illinois (7-9), followed Saturday, Feb. 22, against Lindenwood (14-2).

In the first meeting against the Leathernecks, the Redhawks were bludgeoned in a 94-66 road loss in Macomb, Illinois, with WIU shooting over 70% from the field.

The Leathernecks are 13-12 overall this season and safely hold the No. 7 position in the league, 3 1/2 games ahead of No. 8 Tennessee State.

Headed by Raegan McCowan, the standout sophomore who grades out as the No. 28 sophomore in all of college basketball and the No. 1 player in the entire OVC, WIU’s leadership at the front is intense.

Mia Nicastro, Allie Meadows and Mallory McDermott can all combine to put you down, with Meadows playing nearly 92% of the minutes and holding the team’s best 3-point percentage this season at nearly 38%.

That sets the stage for Saturday when the Redhawks’ biggest active conference rival comes to town in the form of a tied-for-first Lindenwood squad.

Much akin to SEMO, the Lions are on a streak of their own with nine consecutive wins through the back half of conference play. They’ll likely face Tennessee Tech for a conference championship clash on the final day of the regular season, with both teams currently at 14-2.

The Lions are led by Ellie Brueggemann, who does the most handling for them as she leads them in shots taken on the season, while sophomore guard Brooke Coffey averages close to seven assists per game.

Last time out, Lindenwood took a commanding 84-76 victory on its home floor, a game the Lions led for the final 30 minutes after a buzzer-beating Brueggemann 3-pointer to end the first quarter.

SEMO will tip off its game with Western Illinois at 5:15 p.m. Thursday, while the Lindenwood matchup begins at 1:30 p.m. Saturday.