'Hawks take second shot at piece of OVC crown

~ Southeast can clinch a share of the title with a victory today.

Southeast Missouri State coach B.J. Smith preferred to accentuate the positive following Thursday's 57-53 home loss to Samford that cost the Redhawks a shot at the undisputed Ohio Valley Conference title.

If the Redhawks (18-8, 15-4) beat visiting Jacksonville State (11-15, 9-10) in today's 5 p.m. regular-season finale, they'll gain a share of the program's first OVC championship.

Considering that the Redhawks' season appeared ready to collapse following a loss at Eastern Illinois on Feb. 5 that dropped them to 3-3 in conference play, tying for the league title would be no small feat.

"It's disappointing. We sure wanted to win here tonight," Smith said after Thursday's defeat that ended Southeast's 12-game winning streak. "But back when we were 3-3, we would sure have taken winning one of these last two for the conference championship."

Smith's players, as disappointed as they were following the loss to Samford, put pretty much the same spin on things.

"We'll take it," said senior center Tatiana Conceicao, referring to a potential OVC co-championship.

Added senior forward Simone Jackson: "It's a heartbreaker. I wish we could have won it [Thursday]. Now we have to get it [today]."

Smith said his focus in Friday's practice was to make sure his players were able to put Thursday's setback behind them.

The last thing the Redhawks want is having the taste from the Samford game linger, and for Jacksonville State to prevent them from making school history.

"We'll have to make a conscious effort that it doesn't happen," Smith said. "Jacksonville State has a good team, and we'll have to be ready to play."

The Gamecocks, after a slow start that saw them lose their first seven OVC games, have won nine of their last 12. They are tied for sixth place in the OVC and have clinched a berth in the eight-team league tournament.

"They're a talented team," Smith said. "They had problems early, but they've played about as good as anybody in the conference over the last few weeks."

Five players average in double figures for the Gamecocks, led by 6-foot-2 senior forward Rebecca Haynes at 13.7 points per game. Close behind is 5-7 sophomore guard Courtney Slaughter (13.1 ppg).

"They've got a lot of players who can score, and they've got the biggest team in the conference," said Smith, noting that three of the Gamecocks' top six players stand 6-2 or 6-3, and they bring a 6-6 player off the bench.

Southeast handled the Gamecocks 83-76 on Dec. 20 in Jacksonville, Ala., at a time when neither team was playing very well.

"We've come a long way since that game, but I know they have too," Smith said.

But if the Redhawks can sweep the season series from the Gamecocks, they'll be able to hang a banner in the Show Me Center signifying the program's first OVC championship since joining the league in 1991-92.

"To do something that has never been done before here would mean a lot to us, and I'd be especially happy for our six seniors, who really deserve it," Smith said. "I really want to see them cut the nets down."

Noteworthy

• Even if Southeast wins tonight to share the OVC title, the Redhawks will not be the No. 1 seed for the conference tournament that begins Tuesday night with home games at the top four seeds.

First-place Tennessee Tech, which has finished its regular season, will be the No. 1 seed based on splitting its two games with third-place Samford, while Southeast lost twice to the Bulldogs. Tennessee Tech and Southeast split their two meetings, so the tie for seedings can't be broken that way.

The Redhawks not only need a win tonight to tie Tennessee Tech for the league championship, they also need a victory to give themselves the No. 2 seed for the tournament.

A Southeast loss and a Samford win at Eastern Illinois means the Redhawks and Bulldogs would tie for second place, and Samford would be the No. 2 seed based on its two victories over Southeast.