~ Southeast faces a major challenge in Florida State.

The Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team was a bit sluggish in its home opener Tuesday night, needing a second-half rally to slip past Central Arkansas 64-60.

Acting head coach Josh Ishee and his players know it will take a much better performance tonight if the Redhawks (1-1) hope to pull off a major upset.

Florida State (2-0) of the power-packed Atlantic Coast Conference visits the Show Me Center for a 7:30 p.m. tipoff.

"We will have our hands full," said Ishee, the Redhawks assistant who is running the program after fifth-year head coach B.J. Smith was placed on administrative leave by the university last week. "Florida State is an outstanding program and we know we're going to have to play very well."

Said junior guard Ashley Lovelady, who led the Redhawks with 21 points against Central Arkansas: "We're looking forward to the game. We know we'll have to play a lot better, but anybody can be beat."

The Seminoles have recorded back-to-back 20-win seasons and NCAA tournament berths for just the second time in school history.

Last year FSU went 20-10 and placed fourth in the ACC for its highest-ever finish. The ACC was the nation's top-rated conference for women's basketball last season, sending three teams to the Final Four, led by champion Maryland.

The Seminoles competed in the same Denver Regional as Southeast last year and made it to the second round before losing 88-70 to Stanford. The Redhawks fell to Stanford 72-45 in the opening round during their first NCAA Division I tournament appearance.

While the Seminoles lost three starters from a year ago, they return eight players, including two double-figure scorers.

Britany Miller, a 6-foot-4 sophomore center, led the Seminoles with 40 points in their first two games while shooting 69.2 percent from the field.

Miller made the ACC all-freshmen team last year, averaging 10.3 points and 5.3 rebounds. She also had 39 blocks.

The tall Seminoles -- they will have a big size advantage over Southeast -- feature another 6-4 player in freshman forward Jacinta Monroe, the Florida player of the year as a senior in high school.

Monroe scored 34 points, grabbed 26 rebounds and blocked five shots in her first two collegiate games while shooting 73.7 percent from the floor.

Joining Miller as returning starters from last season is 5-11 senior guard Alicia Gladden.

Gladden, a four-year regular and FSU's lone senior, is the Seminoles' top returning scorer with a 13.1 average. She totaled 19 points in FSU's first two games this year.

The Seminoles' other starters are 6-1 sophomore guard Mara Freshour and 5-7 junior guard Shante Williams.

Williams, FSU's first player off the bench last year, had 21 points and 11 assists in the first two games, while Freshour totaled 11 points.

FSU also brings plenty of size off the bench with 6-3 junior center Nikki Anthony, who scored 16 points in the opening two contests. Another 6-4 player is on the roster but has seen little action so far.

The Seminoles blew past their first two opponents, beating visiting Alabama-Birmingham 93-77 and crushing host Fordham 84-34.

FSU shot 53.6 percent in the two games while limiting the opposition to 37.6 percent.

The Seminoles also crushed their first two opponents on the boards, with an amazing 105-41 rebounding advantage.

"They're very athletic and they have really good post players," Ishee said. "Heck, they're an ACC team that won 20 games last year and went to the second round of the NCAA tournament."

FSU coach Sue Semrau said her squad is looking forward to its first game among many against an NCAA tournament team from last season.

"That's one thing we talked about," Semrau said. "This is our first opportunity against an NCAA tournament team from last year and it's at their place.

"They're a team that is known as a pressing team. We haven't seen that yet ... it will be a new style and a new challenge for us."

The challenge for the Redhawks tonight is obvious -- trying to upset a team that will be heavily favored.

"We're excited about it," said sophomore guard Tarina Nixon, the Redhawks' lone returning starter from last year. "We know they're a really good team, but I've always been told don't pay attention to the jersey. Just go out and play."

Ishee said the Redhawks should relish the opportunity to face an ACC squad at the Show Me Center. He believes Southeast fans should feel the same way.

"It's a great opportunity for us and the girls definitely deserve the support of people coming out," Ishee said. "Hopefully we'll have a big crowd because that can only help us.":