Southeast Missouri State women's basketball player Norman to miss season

The Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team will be without one of its top players for the entire season.

Southeast coach Ty Margenthaler announced Friday that junior guard Katie Norman will take a medical redshirt due to lingering back problems.

Norman, who did not play in the Redhawks' first three games, will have two years of eligibility remaining.

"First of all, I am sad for Katie because she's a student-athlete who loves basketball," Margenthaler said. "She's disappointed she won't be with her teammates on the court. We are still going to use Katie in a lot of ways. She's one of our three captains, so we're going to continue to use her in practice and on the bench as a vocal leader. We're looking forward to two bright years when she gets healthy."

Norman tied for the team lead in scoring with 8.9 points per game last year. She led the Redhawks with 46 assists and 31 3-point field goals, while finishing second on the squad with 31 steals.

Southeast (0-3) plays its first home game Monday against Mississippi in a 7 p.m. tipoff at the Show Me Center.