“Thrilling OVC Showdown: Women’s Basketball Takes the Court at Tennessee State This Thursday!”

Game 12
Southeast Missouri (3-8, 1-1 OVC) versus Tennessee State (4-8, 0-2 OVC)
 
Game Details
Date: Thursday, January 2, 2025
Time: 5:00 p.m., CT. 
Location: Nashville, Tennessee
Venue: Gentry Center
Series: SEMO leads 30-24
 
Head Coaches
SEMO: Briley Palmer (3-8, 1-1 OVC, First Season)
TSU: Candice Dupree (4-8, 0-2 OVC, First Season)
 
Follow the Redhawks
X: @officialSEMOWBB
Live Stats: tsutigers.com

Watch: ESPN+

Listen: Real Rock 99.3 FM (Erik Sean)
 
Game Notes (PDF)
Media Guide (PDF)
 
Redhawks Resume OVC Play Thursday at Tennessee State 
Southeast Missouri Women’s Basketball (3-8, 1-1 OVC) is set to return to Ohio Valley Conference competition on Thursday, January 2, facing Tennessee State (4-8, 0-2 OVC) in the season’s first game in 2025. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:00 p.m., CT. in Nashville, Tennessee, at the Gentry Center.
 
Series History
On Thursday evening, the Redhawks and Tigers will compete for the 55^th time in women’s basketball, with SEMO holding a 30-24 lead in the overall series. Last season, the teams met only once, with the Redhawks prevailing 48-47 in Cape Girardeau. SEMO is currently riding a three-game winning streak in this matchup. 
 
Last Time Out
The Redhawks concluded their last non-conference game of the season against William Woods on New Year’s Eve, finishing off 2024 with a commanding 102-50 victory at the Show Me Center. Four Redhawks scored in double digits, led by Zoe Best and Skylar Barnes with 22 points each. Indiya Bowen and Jariyah Williamson added 17 and 11 points, respectively, helping the Redhawks extend their winning streak to two games. Williamson grabbed a team-high 11 rebounds and also contributed 11 points, marking her first double-double of her SEMO career. As a collective, SEMO dominated the boards, out-rebounding the Owls 45-27.
 
Welcome Back Ainaya
Center Ainaya Williams returned to action after a short absence and made a significant impact near the basket. Williams finished the game shooting 3-for-6 from the field, scoring six points and securing four rebounds. On defense, she also accounted for two blocks. She has now recorded a block in every game played this season, including five games with two or more blocks. 
 
Double-Double Williamson
Freshman Jariyah Williamson achieved her first career double-double of the season Tuesday afternoon with 11 points and 11 rebounds. In the last four games, Williamson has averaged 25.5 minutes per game and has scored in double figures in consecutive contests. 
 
Last Time We Hit 100
The Redhawks reached the 100-point mark for the first time in seven years on the last day of 2024, defeating William Woods 102-50. The last time SEMO scored over 100 points was in 2017 against OVC rival Eastern Illinois in Charleston, Ill. 
 
Close to the Record
On Tuesday afternoon, SEMO came close to setting a program record. The Redhawks, who have a three-point shooting percentage of 30% this season, made 16 three-pointers against William Woods. The record for most three-pointers made in a single game is 17, established on February 11, 2017, against Eastern Illinois. 
 
Career-High McCully
Senior guard Lexi McCully achieved a new career-high in assists on Tuesday, dishing out eight assists, surpassing her previous mark of six against Indiana State (11/30). McCully has accumulated 32 assists this season, averaging nearly 3.0 assists per game (2.9).
 
Could She
Guard Zoe Best is officially on the verge of breaking records as she aims to shatter the single-season points record in SEMO Women’s Basketball history. In the initial 11 games of the season, Best has accumulated 154 points. The record, set during the 1995-96 season by Gray C. Harris, stands at 713 points. 
 
The Defender
Center Ainaya Williams remains the leader in blocked shots within the Ohio Valley Conference, after recording two against William Woods on New Year’s Eve. Williams has accumulated 17 blocks in just eight games, averaging 2.1 blocks per game. 
 
Scouting the Opponent
Tigers
Tennessee State comes into Thursday’s matchup with a 4-8 overall record and an 0-2 mark in OVC play after losing their first two conference games to Southern Indiana and Morehead State. TSU is directed by head coach Candice Dupree, who is in her inaugural season at the helm of TSU Women’s Basketball. 
 
Offensively, the Tigers are spearheaded by Somah Kamara, who averages 15.3 points per game. Kamara is one of two Tigers who average double-digit points, with Saniah Parker averaging 11.2 points per game. Most recently, Parker led TSU in scoring, netting 16 points against Morehead State. 
 
Lyric Cole is the leading rebounder for the Tigers, with an average of 7.3 rebounds per game. Cole also contributes 5.8 points per game. 
 
This season, TSU holds a 1-1 record against common opponents as the Redhawks after winning their second game of the season at Eastern Kentucky (66-48). They also faced a defeat against Dayton 12 days after the Redhawks’ loss to the Flyers.