Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team seeks 2-0 start in home debut

Southeast Missouri State women's basketball coach Ty Margenthaler will go up against one of his former teams today when the Redhawks open their home schedule against Bradley University at 5:30 p.m.

Margenthaler spent 2000 through 2006 as an assistant for the program located in Peoria, Ill.

"I really enjoyed my time there, and it's a good team to have on our schedule," Margenthaler said.

Personal feelings aside, Margenthaler will be looking for his first 2-0 start in his three seasons at Southeast as well as the program's first 2-0 start since the 2009-10 campaign.

"We just want to keep improving, keep getting better as a team," Margenthaler said.

Southeast is coming off Friday's season-opening 76-64 victory at Alabama A&M. Bradley also had an impressive 2013-14 debut, winning at home against Illinois 98-92.

"To beat Illinois says a lot about their team," Margenthaler said. "We have our hands full."

The Braves went 14-16 overall and a sixth-place 8-10 in the Missouri Valley Conference last year during their first season under coach Michael Brooks, who previously was a Bradley assistant.

Bradley appears to be on the upswing after posting its best conference record and finish since the 2009-10 campaign. The Braves ranked 21st nationally last season and led the MVC with a scoring average of 71.3 points per game.

The Braves lost their top two scorers from last year's squad but return their next two leading scorers along with their top rebounder.

Kelsey Budd, a 5-foot-9 senior guard, averaged 10 points per game a year ago. Catie O'Leary, a 5-10 senior guard, averaged 9.8 points and a team-leading 6.7 boards.

Michelle Young, a 5-9 junior guard who averaged 7.7 points last season, sparked Friday's victory over Illinois from the Big 10 Conference with a career-high 32 points. She hit 11 of 19 field-goal attempts as the Braves shot 51.5 percent.

Four other Bradley players scored in double figures, including Budd with 23 points. O'Leary pulled down a career-high 18 rebounds.

"They have a couple of really good shooters," Margenthaler said. "They're an improving program and we're going to have to play well."

Today's contest begins a three-game homestand for the Redhawks, who face Missouri-Kansas City at 6:30 p.m. Thursday and Western Kentucky at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 19. Southeast lost to both opponents last season.