With two seniors, seven juniors, three sophomores and three freshmen taking the court this season, the Southeast Missouri State women’s basketball team is looking forward to beginning the 2016-2017 season.
“There’s nothing more that I love than coaching these girls,” coach Rekha Patterson said. “This is their favorite game, and it’s mine too.”
One of the biggest breaks the team is receiving this year is the return of redshirt senior guard/forward Olivia Hackmann. After just nine games in the 2015-2016 season, Hackmann suffered from an ankle injury, sidelining her for the rest of the season.
“O is a stud. That’s just how we see her,” sophomore guard Adrianna Murphy said about Hackmann. “I got a taste of what it was like to play with her last year before her ankle injury, but I am so thankful to get one last run with her. We all look up to her.”
In all nine games during the 2015-2016 season, Hackmann picked up double-digit points.
“It’s been really exciting to see O improve even since I’ve been here,” Patterson said. “Through those few games last season, Olivia was probably playing the most confident she ever has in a Redhawk uniform for us.”
During her first season as head coach in 2015, Patterson led the team to its first winning season in seven years, posting an even 15-15 overall record and an 8-8 Ohio Valley Conference record. In addition, Southeast punched its ticket to the OVC Tournament for the first time since 2009 under Patterson.
“This coaching staff as a whole is incredible,” Patterson said. “They know the game of basketball and are great at what they do, but even beyond that, everyone on this coaching staff has really high character.”
When Patterson was searching for whom she wanted to work alongside, she knew that high character was the No. 1 credential she requested.
“We shoot for our players to have high character,” Patterson said. “I can’t expect them to hold themselves to that standard if we, as coaches, don’t hold those standards for themselves.”
Senior guard Bri Mitchell has seen her character improve over the course of four years as a Southeast women’s basketball player.
“When I came in, I wasn’t very coachable,” Mitchell said. “I’ve seen the benefits of listening to my coaches and trusting what they tell me.”
When Mitchell came to Southeast initially, she thought she knew everything about basketball, only to find out she had been mistaken.
“I just knew that I played and I played hard,” Mitchell said. “That fact hasn’t changed, but now I’ve learned so much about the brain behind the game as well.”
During her junior year, Mitchell earned Second-Team All-OVC honors, played in 27 games, started 24 and recorded 13.5 points per game while shooting 39.7 percent from the field.
Experience isn’t just retained solely in the seniors for the team. With seven juniors on this year’s roster, the team is working to solidify the skills they’ve learned and the skills they have yet to learn.
Among these juniors, guard Carrie Shephard transferred to Southeast after spending two years at the University of Missouri.
“Although Carrie is unable to play right now,” Patterson said. “She is working her tail off in practices and brings that SEC intensity to this team, which is truly making us better.”
Junior forward Mandy Madden comes to Southeast for her first year in a Redhawks uniform after spending two years at Hutchinson Community College. In her freshman season in 2014-15, Hutchinson won the Jayhawk West Conference and Region Six Championships, as well as advanced to the NJCAA Division I Championship game.
“Basketball for me is just about family,” Madden said. “The game is something that was a bond for me and my dad when I was growing up. Being a part of this team here feels like a family to me, and that’s why I think we really just love what we do.”
Patterson has coached junior guard Hannah Noe since she has played at Southeast, and brings much experience on the court for the team. Noe played in all 30 games as a sophomore while making 15 starts, hitting 41 3-pointers and shooting 28.7 percent from beyond the arc.
As for playing time, Murphy played in all 30 contests and started 26 as a true freshman last season.
“Adri racked up the minutes last season and, as a coach, you’ve got to love that,” Patterson said. “In a uniform, you just learn by playing the game. You learn by failing. You learn by taking risks against big opponents. It’s a confidence level that is gained by earning playing time on that court.”
After graduating 5-foot-11-inch forward Erin Bollmann and 6-foot-2-inch forward Connor King last year, Southeast has gained 6-foot-4-inch forward LaTrese Saine to make up for the loss of the taller players.
“LaTrese brings us great size down low as a freshman,” Patterson said. “I’m really looking forward to working with her throughout this season and seeing where her talent can take her.”
Southeast’s first exhibition game is scheduled for 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 8, against Culver-Stockton at the Show Me Center. To read more about this match-up, visit SoutheastArrow.com/Sports.
