Redhawks dispose of Sugar Bears

Crysta Glenn had her moments on offense last year, but she was not a consistent scoring threat.

It looks like that could change this season.

Glenn, a senior forward, scored 17 points Tuesday night as Southeast Missouri State improved to 2-0 with a 60-41 home win over Central Arkansas.

That came on the heels of Glenn's 19-point effort during Friday's season-opening victory over visiting Missouri State.

"I want to be consistent," Glenn said. "Last year I was kind of up and down. I would have one good game and one bad game."

ELIZABETH DODD ~ edodd@semissourian.comSoutheast Missouri State's Sonya Daugherty drives to the basket against Central Arkansas' Jamye Adair in the first half of Tuesday's game at the Show Me Center.

The 5-foot-10 Glenn had a productive season for the Redhawks last year as a junior college transfer. She averaged 6.3 points and six rebounds per game primarily coming off the bench, but also making 12 starts. She was second on the team in rebounding.

Glenn recorded seven double-figure scoring performances, including a season-high 17 points at Eastern Kentucky.

Glenn already has surpassed that figure this season, and she is averaging a gaudy 18 points.

"Crysta has gotten a lot better, and we're going to need that out of her this year," Southeast coach John Ishee said.

Glenn knows she will have to shoulder more of the inside load after the graduation of all-conference performer Missy Whitney, Southeast's top scorer and rebounder last season.

"That will definitely be some big shoes to fill, but I don't know if it will all be on my shoulders," said Glenn, who has started the first two contests.

Glenn said boosting her offensive game wasn't her primary focus in the offseason.

"Just rebounding and working hard," she said. "The offense will come."

Glenn has shown an improved touch around the basket. She has made 11 of her 15 field-goal attempts after shooting 42.7 percent last year.

What really could help Glenn's offensive production is her new-found stroke from the free-throw line. She is 13 of 14 so far after hitting 55.9 percent a year ago while attempting the second-most foul shots on the squad (127).

"I really worked hard at it," said Glenn, who said she shot in the neighborhood of 200 free throws almost every day of the offseason.

Glenn, who had a double-double in the season opener with 19 points and 11 rebounds, added a team-high eight rebounds Tuesday.

Also showing plenty of early-season improvement is 6-0 sophomore wing Lauren Sharpe, who averaged 2.1 points while making two starts as a freshman.

Sharpe has started both games this year. She had seven points and five steals Tuesday after recording career highs of 12 points and seven steals in the opener.

"Lauren has really improved," Ishee said. "She's got long arms and disrupts a lot of things."

Senior wing Sonya Daugherty, Southeast's top returning scorer, added 10 points against UCA (0-2), a third-year Division I program coming off a 7-22 season.

The performance wasn't a thing of beauty for Southeast, which committed 22 turnovers.

But the Redhawks forced 29 turnovers and limited the Sugar Bears to 32.6-percent field-goal shooting.

"It definitely wasn't our best game," Sharpe said.

Southeast, which trailed only briefly early, led 32-22 at halftime and opened a 48-27 advantage midway through the second half.

The Redhawks then went more than nine minutes with just four points, but UCA only could get within 11 points.

Southeast closed the game with an 8-0 run to win handily.

"We kind of got off to a slow start," Glenn said. "It was one of those games, but a win's a win."

Ishee played all 14 of his available players, including 12 in the first half.

"If you want to get them better, you have to get them experience," he said.

Ishee had praise for senior reserve point guard Mathilde Dufour, who has seen little action during her first two years at Southeast.

With senior Tarina Nixon continuing to be limited by a finger injury, Dufour played 10 minutes off the bench and did not commit a turnover.

"That's probably the most minutes she's played in two years," Ishee said. "She gave us a big lift."