LAKELAND, Fla. -- SEU Women's Basketball returns to action this week with a three-game slate that bridges the end of December and the start of the new year, beginning with an exhibition contest, followed by a home matchup at The Furnace and a key Sun Conference road test.
The Fire will open the week on Monday, December 29, at 1 p.m., traveling to Florida A&M for an exhibition contest in Tallahassee. Fans can watch the game live on SWAC TV. Southeastern will then return home on Tuesday, December 30, at 3 p.m., hosting Milligan at The Furnace, with coverage available on the Urban Edge Network. The week concludes on Saturday, January 3, at 2 p.m., when SEU opens the 2026 calendar year on the road against Webber International in Babson Park, with that contest also airing on the Urban Edge Network.
Southeastern enters the week at 12-2 overall and a perfect 3-0 in Sun Conference play, riding a four-game winning streak. The Fire have been dominant inside The Furnace with an 8-1 home record, while also remaining unbeaten in true road games at 2-0. SEU has added quality neutral-site experience as well, compiling a 2-1 mark away from Lakeland.
Statistically, the Fire have established themselves among the NAIA's most efficient teams on both ends of the floor. SEU is averaging 80.1 points per game, ranking 22nd nationally, while shooting 48.9 percent from the field, good for fourth in the NAIA. From beyond the arc, Southeastern connects at a 37.7 percent clip, ranking seventh nationally, and continues to convert at the free-throw line at 75.6 percent.
Ball movement has been a defining strength for the Fire, who average 18.4 assists per game, ranking 15th nationally, while defensively SEU has paired that offensive efficiency with consistency. The Fire are holding opponents to just 56.1 points per game, a Top-25 national mark, while limiting opposing teams to 37.2 percent shooting from the floor and 27.0 percent from three-point range. Through 14 games, Southeastern owns a +23.9 scoring margin, underscoring its balance on both sides of the ball.
Mya Herman continues to be the engine of the Fire offense. Herman ranks second in the Sun Conference at 17.2 points per game and is shooting 41.6 percent from three-point range, placing her among the league's most efficient perimeter scorers. In her third season at Southeastern, Herman has already totaled 925 career points and is closing in on a major milestone in Fire history. She is on pace to become just the eighth player in the modern era (since 2001) to reach 1,000 career points for the program.
Grace Field has emerged as one of the Sun Conference's most complete players. Field is averaging 15.5 points per game and ranks fifth in the league in rebounding at 8.6 boards per contest. She also sits second in the conference in total assists (50) and continues to impact the game defensively, ranking among league leaders with 36 steals and 12 blocks.
From the perimeter,
Alley Haas has been one of the league's most efficient shooters. Haas leads the Sun Conference in three-point field goal percentage (49.4%), providing consistent spacing and scoring as part of SEU's nationally ranked perimeter attack.
Inside,
Kristiana Kulackovska anchors the Fire defensively. Kulackovska ranks among the conference leaders in blocks and has provided a steady interior presence, helping Southeastern maintain one of the NAIA's top scoring defenses.
Southeastern was ranked No. 23 in the NAIA Coaches' Top 25 Poll released on November 26, before moving into the teams receiving votes category in the most recent poll on December 17.
In the latest NAIA RPI, released on December 15, the Fire are ranked No. 27 nationally. The next RPI update is scheduled for January 5, with the first ARC and Quad Records debuting on January 20. The RPI, ARC, and Quad Records are all approved evaluation metrics used by the NAIA Selection Committee when determining and seeding the 64-team NAIA Women's Basketball National Championship field, giving additional context to SEU's early-season résumé.
Milligan starts the week with an 8-4 overall record and a perfect 7-0 mark in AAC play. The Buffaloes average 78.3 points per game while allowing 64.9, producing a +13.4 scoring margin. Milligan also ranks among the NAIA's better rebounding teams at 43.2 rebounds per contest and moves the ball efficiently with 18.6 assists per game.
Semaj Clark leads the Buffaloes at 16.9 points and 8.5 rebounds per game, while Kenzie Campbell adds 11.2 points per contest and shoots better than 41 percent from three-point range.
The two programs have met just once previously, with Southeastern holding a 1-0 all-time advantage following a 62-42 road victory on December 14, 2002. Tuesday's contest marks the first meeting in more than two decades and the first-ever matchup between the teams in Lakeland.
Webber International enters the week with a 5-6 overall record and a 1-1 mark in league play. The Warriors are led by Camryn Patterson, who ranks among the Sun Conference leaders with 10.5 rebounds per game while also contributing 9.2 points and 49 assists. Jaiden Ross leads Webber in scoring at 11.4 points per game, and Sophya Barreiro averages 8.7 points per contest while shooting 39.0 percent from three-point range.
Southeastern owns a 28-14 all-time advantage in the series, including a 17-5 record at home and an 11-9 mark in Babson Park. The Fire enter Saturday's matchup riding a five-game winning streak in the series and have won nine of the last 10 meetings, most recently earning an 85-47 road victory on February 1, 2025.
Following Saturday's contest at Webber, Southeastern will continue Sun Conference play on Wednesday, January 7, at 5:30 p.m., traveling to face Keiser in West Palm Beach. The Fire will then return home to The Furnace on Saturday, January 10, at 2 p.m., hosting New College of Florida as conference play continues in Lakeland.
