Southeast women's basketball team hosts Western Illinois, regional grade schools

The Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team will have youth on its side as it takes on Western Illinois this morning at the Show Me Center.

A crowd of more than 1,500 grade school students will be in attendance at the Redhawks' annual Classroom on the Court game as the Redhawks attempt to build their first win streak of the season in the 11 a.m. contest.

"Our kids really enjoyed it the first time we had the opportunity to do this game," Southeast coach Ty Margenthaler said about the event, which was canceled due to inclement weather last year. "We know that it's going to be one of our better crowds of the year, and it's loud and it's exciting. The 11 o'clock won't phase us at all because three times a week we practice at seven in the morning, so this is not going to be an issue whatsoever at 11 a.m. We're looking forward to it and can't wait for the energy, and we'll need it because we're going against a very talented Western team."

WIU enters the game with a record of 3-3 and is coming off an eight-point loss to North Dakota.

"I've been watching them the last two days, and am very impressed with their team," said Margenthaler, whose own squad enters with a 2-4 mark. "The challenge we're going to against Western is they're a very good shooting basketball team. They have very good outside shooters, and they have a dominant post player in Ashley Luke. Definitely one of the top players that we'll go against all year long. She's just someone that can score around the rim -- left hand, right hand, just very, very strong, very active. We'll definitely have a lot of challenges facing her, for sure."

The 6-foot-1 junior forward Luke put up big numbers in the Leathernecks' 79-58 defeat of Southeast last year. Luke led WIU with 29 points and 15 rebounds. She also had two blocks and three steals.

"I don't know if we're going to slow her down, we just can't have other players go off and have career nights," Margenthaler said. "I definitely think our team, in all, is in a better frame of mind where we're at this point than where we were last year when we played them. We're a totally different basketball team mentally and just confidence-wise."

Luke averages 15.8 points and 7.7 rebounds per game this season. Junior forward Sophie Reichelt averages 11.8 ppg, and put up 29 in a 90-88 defeat of Florida Atlantic.

Senior guard Tori Niemann and junior guard Michelle Maher, who scored 14 apiece against the Redhawks last year, average 10.3 and 8.7 ppg, respectively.

Maher is one of three Leathernecks that have made nine 3-pointers through the first six games, along with Reichelt and Liz Skotowski. Michelle Farrow has knocked down eight 3 -pointers.

WIU is shooting 36.1 percent from behind the arc and 43.6 percent overall.

Southeast, which is shooting 38.5 percent on the season, is coming off its second win of the season and its best shooting performance since the 2011-12 season.

The Redhawks shot 54.8 percent in their 70-65 road win over Bradley on Sunday.

"I really do believe that was the most unselfish 40 minutes of basketball that we've played in quite awhile," Margenthaler said. "I think we've always been a pretty unselfish team, but just everybody was looking out for one another. We'd have a really, really good shot, but give it up for just a great shot."