Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team set to face Central Arkansas today

The Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team returns to the Show Me Center for its first home game in three weeks.

The Redhawks bring a two-game winning streak and a 6-4 record to today's 2 p.m. contest vs. the University of Central Arkansas.

"We haven't played at home in so long," Southeast coach Rekha Patterson said. "We need to definitely play with great passion and enthusiasm to be back here at the Show Me Center in front of our fans."

The Sugar Bears are 5-1 on the season. After losing the second game of the season 102-47 to Tennessee they've won four straight.

Two of their wins were by 10 points to Murray State. They beat Alcorn State by 23 and Crowley's Ridge College by 55.

UCA was 17-14 last season. The Redhawks defeated the Sugar Bears 48-46 in Conway, Arkansas, last season.

"They had a winning record last year and they played a lot of minutes, so you've got somewhat of a veteran team," Patterson said. "Not necessarily a lot of seniors, but an experienced team that we're going to be playing."

The Sugar Bears have held opponents to an average of 51.5 points per game, and Patterson said the tempo of the game will be critical for the Redhawks' success.

"They're not necessarily a transition team, but they are a team that runs their secondary really well, so the tempo needs to be one that we dictate more so than them," Patterson said.

Six Sugar Bears average more than 6.0 ppg.

Maggie Proffitt, a 5-foot-7 junior guard, is the only play averaging double figures at 10.8 ppg.

Taylor Baudoin, a 5-11 sophomore forward, averages 9.2 points and 7.5 rebounds, and 5-6 junior guard Brianna Mullins averages 9.0 points and 2.7 assists.

"They are patient in what they're looking for," Patterson said. "You're going to have to defend for longer than 25 seconds. Most people want to score in that first 15 or 20 seconds, but we're going to have to defend the entire 30 seconds. They've got a young lady [Proffitt] who can come off stagger screens and can knock down shots and she's playing really, really confident right now. I don't think you can take a look at her points per game because she could easily have 20."

Proffitt had seven against Southeast last season. Senior forward Kendara Watts, who's averaging 6.7 points and 4.5 rebounds, had eight points vs. the Redhawks.

"They like to run a secondary action where they're looking for high-lows in the post as well as stagger screens on the backside," Patterson said. "They run a lot of different action where they can get that high-low look. Their post players do a great job of ducking in and getting good, deep position, and then they're athletic enough to face up and drive it and then again they know they've got shooters coming off stagger screens. If [Proffitt] isn't coming off that first stagger she's probably coming off that second, so you've got to play her honest, which sometimes can take away your help-side defense."

Patterson, whose team is holding opponents to an average of 69.5 points per game, said that they'll probably have to mix up defenses against the Sugar Bears, and there are multiple players who will be tasked with slowing down Proffitt.

"Then lucky for us we've got a couple of different players who can present some different looks for her whether it's Bri Mitchell, who is quick, or Kaley Leyhue, who is a little bit longer, or even Hannah Noe, who does a really good job of defending shooters," Patterson said.

Kids 14 and under receive free admission to today's game.

The Southeast men's and women's basketball teams will host a free youth clinic for kids sixth grade or younger following the game.

"Any time that you have young fans come to the game you like that because they look up to our players and they see them as role models. For them to have the opportunity to meet with them one-on-one and then hang out with them, that's something that they will always remember."