Southeast women's basketball team opens exhibition play today

Southeast Missouri State women's basketball coach Ty Margenthaler was ready for the opportunity to evaluate his players in a game.

But after Margenthaler was handed a two-game suspension Wednesday for his program's violation of athletic department policies and procedures, he'll have to wait a little bit longer to see the Redhawks against outside competition in person.

Southeast hosts NAIA Missouri Valley College tonight, and Margenthaler will miss his first of two games.

Tip-off for Southeast's lone exhibition game is set for 6:30 p.m. at the Show Me Center.

"I'm anxious to see that game, just to see where we're at at this point in a young season," Margenthaler said in an interview prior to his suspension, "and our rotation with our team, who's really going to give us that early spark. That's going to be a big factor to see that."

Margenthaler will have watch how the game plays out on film. Assistant Heather Ezell will handle his coaching responsibilities tonight and in Southeast's season opener against Alabama A&M on Nov. 14.

The Redhawks, who have been practicing since Oct. 6, face a Vikings team that posted a 19-13 record last season.

"We're just looking forward to whatever they give us, (seeing) how we manage it and handle it," Margenthaler said Tuesday.

Margenthaler said that he'll get the opportunity to see how the different lineups that he's been tweaking during practice will look against someone else.

The undersized Redhawks are running a new ball-screen continuity offense this season, and Margenthaler's been toying with a smaller lineup that has four guards and Jackson graduate Connor King as the post as well as a bigger lineup that has the junior King and senior Hillary Lively in the post.

"We've been trying different match ups like that, so that's what I'm anxious to see against a different opponent, how they react," Margenthaler said.

Senior guard and Alabama transfer Jasmine Robinson will play her first game in a Redhawks uniform after sitting out last season due to NCAA transfer rules.

Margenthaler said he's excited to see how she fits in with the team as well as how the upperclassmen -- seniors Allyson Bradshaw, Yelena Rosado, and Lively, and juniors King and Olivia Hackmann -- lead the team.

"I really want to see that upperclass take that next step," Margenthaler said. "That's going to be the key to our season is our junior and senior class, how much they've improved. That's going to be important because our freshmen are going to be freshmen -- they're going to grow and have their good days, bad days."

In addition to Robinson, seven other players will make their Redhawks debut -- freshmen Hannah Noe, Imani Johnson, Deja Jones, Kaley Leyhue, Ashton Luttrull and Jade Holly as well as junior transfer Erin Bollmann.

"Just ... kind of seeing the effort and seeing when the lights are on and their uniforms are on what kids will do," Margenthaler said of what he's looking forward to. "That freshmen class, no one's really taken a big standing to be like 'That's the freshman.' They're all doing well. No one's doing better than the other. I'm just really looking forward to seeing what they do when the lights are on."

Fans who donate a minimum of three non-perishable canned goods at the Show Me Center box office receive free admission to the game.