Southeast women get another shot at MVC team

~ The Redhawks face Indiana State three days after a loss to Missouri State

The young Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team closes out its tough two-game road swing today with a 5 p.m. tipoff at Indiana State.

Southeast (2-1) is coming off its first loss of the season, Saturday's 72-46 setback at Missouri State.

"We looked like freshmen that hadn't been on the road before," said Southeast coach John Ishee, who has nine freshmen on his 13-player roster. "But it's a learning experience. It's just one game."

Things don't figure to get any easier against Indiana State (3-0), like Missouri State a member of the Missouri Valley Conference.

Indiana State went 14-16 last season, including 10-8 in the MVC. The Sycamores defeated Southeast 75-72 in Cape Girardeau.

The Sycamores have won their first three games despite not playing at home yet. Most impressive was their season-opening 77-73 upset victory at Kansas State.

Senior guard Kelsey Luna is averaging 29 points through the early going.

The 5-foot-5 Luna, a returning all-MVC selection, hit eight 3-pointers and poured in 33 points during Saturday's 80-72 win at South Carolina Upstate.

Shannon Thomas, a 6-4 sophomore center, had 19 points and 13 rebounds. She is averaging 12.3 points and nine rebounds.

"They'll be a really tough opponent for us," Ishee said. "But it's all part of the learning process."

Junior wing Lauren Sharpe and freshman guard Jasmine Davis are Southeast's leading scorers. Each is averaging 11 points.