Dec. 14, 2006

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -

TIP-OFF: Southeast Missouri State women's basketball kicks off its final three-game homestand of the year at the Show Me Center as it welcomes East Tennessee State for a non-conference showdown. The Redhawks are currently 2-1 at home this season. Friday's game will be broadcast live via the internet at OVCSports.tv.

SCOUTING THE REDHAWKS: Southeast enters the weekend with a record of 3-4 record, including a 1-1 mark in the OVC, prior to the ETSU game. The Redhawks split their first two conference games last week with a win at Tennessee State before falling in the final seconds at conference rival Tennessee Tech. Leading the Redhawks is junior forward/center Missy Whitney, who has produced a team-best 12.3 points per game and is second in rebounding with a 8.4 carom-per-game margin. Senior center Lachelle Lyles has tallied 14.6 boards per game to lead the OVC and is tied with Oklahoma sophomore Courtney Paris for the Division I lead. Junior guard Ashley Lovelady ranks second on the team with a 12.2 scoring average and sophomore guard Tarina Nixon leads Southeast in assists (22 - 3.1 apg) and steals (10 - 1.4 spg).

SCOUTING THE LADY BUCS: Playing its first game in 13 days, East Tennessee State heads to Cape Girardeau with a 4-4 record on the year. The Lady Bucs, who are 3-0 in the middle of a five-game road trip, posted wins at Mercer (Nov. 30) and at Stetson (Dec. 2) to open their Atlantic Sun schedule with a 2-0 conference ledger. Junior forward Michele DeVault and freshman guard/forward Siarre Evans currently lead ETSU in scoring with a 14-point average, while Evans paces the team in rebounds (6.9 rpg) and steals (2.6 spg). Senior guard Brooke Wilhoit is the Lady Bucs' assist leader with 42 (5.3 apg) and ranks second in steals with 16 (2.0 spg). ETSU is guided by head coach Karen Kemp, who has tallied a 157-185 career record in 12-plus seasons at the Johnson City, Tenn., school.

SERIES HISTORY: East Tennessee State holds a 2-0 lead over Southeast in the all-time series, which includes an 81-74 win last season in Johnson City, Tenn. The Lady Bucs claimed the first-ever meeting with the Redhawks at the Show Me Center during the 1996 SEMO Shootout by a score of 61-58.

LYLES CAPTURES OVC PLAYER OF THE WEEK ACCOLADES: Senior Lachelle Lyles was rewarded by the Ohio Valley Conference for her outstanding play last week in Tennessee by being named the conference's Player of the Week on Dec. 11. It is the second career weekly honor for Lyles as she garnered OVC Newcomer of the Week honors last season. She averaged 24 boards per contest against Tennessee State and Tennessee Tech, including a school and OVC-record setting 32 caroms against the Lady Tigers. The 32 boards rank as the fourth-highest single-game tally in NCAA Division I history.

LOVELADY BOUNCES BACK AT TENNESSEE TECH: Junior Ashley Lovelady regained her form from the beginning of the season on Dec. 9 after tallying a team-best 18 points on 8-of-15 shooting at Tennessee Tech. She also added a season high-tying three assists and a season-best two steals against the Golden Eagles.

DUFOUR'S FRENCH CONNECTION FROM DOWNTOWN: After scoring 10 points during the first two games of her NCAA career, redshirt sophomore guard Mathilde Dufour scored a season-high eight points at Tennessee Tech on Dec. 9, which included her connecting on 2-of-3 from three-point range for the second time this season. Her previous season high was six points against Harris-Stowe on Nov. 21.

DIEBOLD RETURNS TO REDHAWKS: Sophomore guard Heather Diebold returned to Southeast last week as a walk-on. The 5-7 native of Branson, Mo., tied her season high by playing one minute at Tennessee Tech on Dec. 9. Last season, Diebold appeared in four contests for the Redhawks, tallying four points and a rebound.

UP NEXT: Southeast battles Samford at the Show Me Center in an Ohio Valley Conference game on Tuesday, Dec. 19 to conclude its homestand with a start time of 5:30 p.m.