Dec. 3, 2008

The Redhawks women’s basketball team looks to snap a current two-game slide as they dip into Ohio Valley Conference play with two home games this week. The first game will pit the Redhawks against Austin Peay on Thursday night at 5:30 p.m. in the Show Me Center. The Tigers of Tennessee State then will pay a visit to the Show Me Center on Saturday night at 5:30 p.m.

These games are a part of a set of games that see the Redhawks play seven of their first eight games at the friendly confines of the Show Me Center.

The game will be shown live on OVCSports.tv and broadcasted live by ESPN/KGIR 1220 AM. Erik Sean will call the action with Jess Bolen providing commentary.

SCOUTING THE REDHAWKS 

The Redhawks lost their first home game in five games dating back to last season this past Friday as they lost a 75-72 heartbreaker to Missouri Valley Conference opponent Indiana State. The loss was the second-straight after starting the year 3-0.

Senior Tarina Nixon had one of her best games of her Redhawks career in the loss as she tied her career-high with 23 points as she 7-12 from beyond the three-point arc. Sonya Daugherty added 19 points and Crysta Glenn recorded her fifth-straight game in double figures with 13 points and also led the team with eight rebounds.

Glenn leads the team in scoring at 15.0 ppg and rebounding with 9.0 per game. She is shooting 50-percent from the field and 90-percent from the charity stripe. Daugherty is averaging 13.2 ppg and leads the team with 3.6 assists per game.

Head Coach John Ishee begins his third season in charge of the Redhawks. He has compiled a record of 50-19 for a winning percentage of .724. Both marks are the best in the OVC during that span. Last season his team set a new OVC record for the most conference wins as the team recorded 17.

SCOUTING THE LADY GOVS

The Lady Govs head into tonight’s game losers of their last two and with a record of 2-4 on the season. This past Saturday they fell to Chicago State 62-53 in the consolation game of the University of Miami Thanksgiving Classic in Miami, Florida. The Lady Govs committed 32 turnovers that led to 31 points for the Cougars.

Whitney Hanley led the Lady Govs with 11 points and April Thomas chipped in 10 points against the Cougars. Nicole Jamen finished with a game-high 10 rebounds.

The Lady Govs return six players including two starters from a team that went 6-21 and finished last in the OVC. This season the Lady Govs were picked to finish ninth in the OVC Preseason Poll. Among the returnees is Ashley Herring who averaged 10.8 ppg last season as a freshman but is only scoring 9.5 ppg this season. Jamen leads the team this season in scoring with 10.3 ppg and rebounding at 7.7 per game. Thomas averages 10.0 ppg and 7.3 rpg.

Carrie Daniels begins her third season in charge of the Lady Govs. During that span she has compiled a record of 18-47 as a head coach.

SERIES HISTORY

The Redhawks lead the all-time series with the Lady Govs 22-15 having won four-straight against their OVC rivals from Tennessee. Included in the four-game winning streak is a sweep of both of their match-ups last season.

In their last meeting, a 67-47 win at the Show Me Center on February 20, 2008, four Redhawks finished in double-figures in scoring led by 14 points by Crysta Glenn and Ashley Lovelady. Glenn also recorded a game-high eight rebounds. Tarina Nixon chipped in 11 points. For the Lady Govs Ashley Herring led them with 11 points.

During the Redhawks four-game winning streak over the Lady Govs the average margin of victory has been nearly 13 points.

SCOUTING THE LADY TIGERS

The Lady Tigers return 11 players including all five starters from a team that went 13-17 and finished fifth in the OVC. This season the Lady Govs were picked to finish fourth in the OVC Preseason Poll just behind the Redhawks. Among the returnees is 2007-08 All-OVC First team selection Kendra Appling who was also named to the Preseason All-OVC team after averaging 177 ppg and leading the OVC in steals last season. Obiageli Okafor was also named to the OVC Preseason team after garnering Second Team honors last year.

Heading into their Thursday game against OVC preseason favorite Eastern Illinois, Appling led the Lady Tigers with a scoring average of 16.3 ppg. Tiffany Jackson was second on the team with 14.8 ppg and averaging 5.7 rebounds per game. Chelsea Cromartie was leading the team in rebounding at 5.8 per game.

Tracee Wells begins her fifth season in charge of the Lady Tigers. The 2007-08 OVC Coach of the Year winner has compiled a record of 31-81 as a head coach heading into the 2008-09 season.

SERIES HISTORY

The Redhawks lead the all-time series with the Lady Govs 22-12 with each team winning on their opponent’s home court last season for a series split. In the Lady Tigers 61-49 win over the Redhawks in the Show Me Center last season the Lady Tigers snapped the Redhawks 13-game home winning streak against OVC opponents. The Redhawks have won seven of the last eight meetings against the Lady Tigers.

Crysta Glenn recorded her first career Redhawks double-double 14 points and 12 rebounds. Sonya Daugherty and Rachel Blunt each added 12 points in the losing effort. Obiageli Okafor led the Lady Tigers with 16 points and nine rebounds. Kendra Appling and Charisse Hicks chipped in 12 and 13 points respectively as the team shot 47-percent from the field and held the Redhawks to 35-percent and forcing them to commit 27 turnovers.

In the Redhawks 70-51 win against the Lady Tigers in Nashville, Tarina Nixon led four Redhawks in double figures as she scored a career-best 23 points. Blunt again scored 12 points. Appling led the Lady Tigers with 15 points while Okafor finished with 10 points. The Redhawks shot 48-percent from the field and held the Lady Tigers to 29-percent.

PROTECTING THE HOUSE

The Redhawks have made the Show Me Center one of the toughest venues to play in the OVC since it opened in 1987. Since that time the Redhawks have compiled a record of 201-75 for a .731 winning percentage. Last season the Redhawks went 12-4 at home including 5-1 against non-conference opponents.

Since Coach Ishee took over the Redhawks have went 20-6 at home with a record of 11-3 in non-conference games. Those three losses came to Atlantic Coast Conference power Florida State in 2006, a No. 10 ranked Baylor team last season and an exciting 75-72 loss to Indiana State earlier this season.

WATCHING HISTORY

Seniors Tarina Nixon and Sonya Daugherty start the season on the verge of making history and closing out two of the most noteworthy four-year careers in program history. Both are on pace to join the program's "1,000 Point Club". An exclusive club that has only 14 members. Nixon stands just 152 points shy of the milestone and Daugherty only 109 points.

Nixon passed former teammate Natalie Purcell for second all-time on the career charts in three-pointers made with 124 three pointers made as she recorded a three-pointer against Arkansas-Little Rock on Nov. 21. She stands just 43 three-pointers behind Julie Meier for the top spot. She also ranks eighth in career steals and is on pace to crack the top-10 in career assists and points.

Daugherty also looks to crack the top-ten in career scoring this season and is also on pace to crack the top-ten in steals and three-pointers made.