Southeast women will host MSU in opener

The Missouri State University women's basketball team is in a rebuilding mode after experiencing two down seasons.

But Southeast Missouri State coach John Ishee believes the tradition-rich Bears are fast on their way back up.

The Redhawks will see how much the Bears have progressed when the teams tip off their seasons at the Show Me Center tonight.

"They've got a great tradition and they're a great program," Ishee said. "They'll be plenty good."

MSU has made 13 NCAA tournament appearances and earned two Final Four berths, in 1991-92 and 2000-01.

The Bears were rolling along with 17 straight winning seasons until the bottom fell out in 2006-07. They went 7-21 overall and a last-place 3-15 in the Missouri Valley Conference.

Nyla Milleson, who built a Division II powerhouse at Drury -- which like MSU is located in Springfield, Mo. -- took over the Bears' program last year and saw progress after a slow start.

MSU improved to 11-19 overall and a fifth-place 9-9 in the 10-team MVC. The Bears won nine of their final 16 conference games.

"I think they'll have a good team, very athletic," Ishee said. "They'll run and press and shoot a lot of threes in transition."

MSU's top returning player is 6-foot-1 senior forward Maggie Dwyer, who averaged a team-high 13.6 points per game last season after transferring from Michigan State.

Dwyer was the MVC newcomer of the year and earned second-team all-conference honors. She is a preseason all-MVC selection.

"She's a great player inside," Ishee said.

The Bears were led in their two exhibition games by 5-8 senior guard Tiffany Coppage, who averaged just 4.3 points last year.

Coppage scored 43 points in the exhibition contests while hitting 9 of 17 3-pointers.

Casey Garrison, a 5-foot-10 freshman point guard from Bolivar, Mo., who was one of the state's top recruits last year, was MSU's second-leading scorer in exhibition play with 25 points.

MSU romped in both its exhibitions against Division II opponents, beating Southwest Oklahoma State 89-37 and Arkansas Tech 91-57.

Southeast played one exhibition game, an 84-65 win over Division III power Maryville University.

Senior point guard Tarina Nixon, a starter since her freshman season, missed the exhibition contest with a finger injury. Ishee said Nixon is questionable for tonight.

"She's a competitor. If she can play, she will play," said Ishee, who led Southeast to Ohio Valley Conference regular-season titles in his previous two years as coach. "The main thing, we want to have her ready for OVC play."

If Nixon can't go tonight, freshman Bianca Beck will start at the point. She started there against Maryville and was impressive with 12 points, four steals, two assists and two turnovers in 29 minutes.

"To have never played a college game, I thought she played very well," Ishee said.

Also starting tonight will be senior wing Sonya Daugherty, senior forward Rachel Blunt and senior forward Crysta Glenn. Ishee said he was undecided on his final starter.

MSU leads the series with Southeast 9-1. Southeast's lone win came in 1981-82.

Southeast plays seven of its first eight games at home, including three straight to open the season.

Another player signs

After signing five players Wednesday on the opening day of the early signing period, the Redhawks landed another player Thursday.

Erika Lane, a 5-7 senior guard at West High School in Knoxville, Tenn., averaged 11 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 2.9 steals per game last year. She led the Rebels to a 20-9 record.

Southeast has one scholarship remaining.