Kearra Jones delivered a career-best performance with 18 points and 10 rebounds, but Southeast Missouri Women’s Basketball could not overcome turnovers as the Redhawks fell to Morehead State, 65-59, Saturday afternoon in Ohio Valley Conference action.
SEMO (5-10, 1-5 OVC) mounted a strong late push, outscoring the Eagles 23-20 in the fourth quarter and winning the paint battle 30-24, but 19 turnovers proved costly against a Morehead State team that improved to 9-8 overall and 4-2 in league play.
The Eagles set the tone early in the first quarter with back-to-back layups from Kate Dike. Carmen Taylor jump-started the Redhawks with a fast-break layup, and Jones followed with a layup and jumper on consecutive possessions to pull SEMO within one. Madison Ayers briefly gave the Redhawks the lead at the free-throw line before a late three-pointer by Circe Rubio Remolar sent Morehead State into the second quarter ahead, 14-12.
Morehead State opened the second quarter with a three-pointer from Dike, assisted by Landon Forbes. SEMO stayed within striking distance behind free throws from Raissa Nsabua and a timely tip-in by Ainaya Williams. However, Anja Ekstrom knocked down a three-pointer just before the break, giving the Eagles a 29-23 advantage at halftime.
The Redhawks looked to gain momentum in the third quarter as Taylor connected on a three-pointer at the 7:19 mark, with Nsabua earning the assist. Jones added another layup shortly after to cut the deficit to four. Morehead State responded quickly with a three from Forbes, and the Eagles maintained control heading into the final period, leading 45-36.
SEMO came out aggressive in the fourth quarter. Lexi McCully drilled a three-pointer early, again assisted by Nsabua, trimming the lead to six. Taylor took over offensively with two three-pointers and a fast-break layup as the Redhawks continued to chip away. Despite the surge, late free throws by Forbes helped Morehead State seal the victory.
Jones led SEMO with her career-high 18 points while grabbing 10 rebounds and shooting 6-of-7 from the free-throw line. Taylor added 14 points to go along with three steals and three assists. Nsabua contributed six points, five assists, and two steals.
The Redhawks return home for their next contest, hosting Lindenwood at the Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Tipoff is set for Thursday, Jan. 15 at 5:15 p.m. CT.
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