SEMO Redhawks' strong start falters against USI's relentless offense

The SEMO women’s basketball team was defeated by the Southern Indiana (USI) Screaming Eagles 93-69 on Thursday at the Show Me Center.

The Screaming Eagles were picked to finish first in the Ohio Valley Conference and looked every bit like a team who could repeat their 2023-2024 regular season and tournament title.

The Redhawks jumped on USI early, making four first-quarter threes to hold a 24-14 lead at the end of one.

SEMO continued hitting threes through half of the second before going the final five minutes with no made baskets, allowing the Screaming Eagles to take a 44-40 halftime lead.

Redhawks head coach Briley Palmer said offensively she liked how the team looked but on defense they needed work.

“There’s nobody that should score 93 points that we play from here on, that's just part of it. Normally, any night we score 69, I think we either lose the game because of my mistakes at the end, like in a one or two-point game, or we're winning,” Palmer said. “That’s just got to come down to what we've been doing this whole time. Play good defense, keep the possessions, and then worry about the offense later. Because it's not like we scored 40 points.”

The second half was all USI, as they pushed the lead to 10 and never looked back, able to score in the paint at will and hit nearly every outside shot.

Bright spots for the Redhawks included Zoe Best again leading the team in points as a freshman with 20 and new arrival Da’Kariya Jackson who added 15 points in her SEMO debut.

Jackson said she showed up ready to play and was happy to help the team tonight.

“I’m not gonna lie, hooping is like a lifestyle for me, it’s just a normal thing I do,” Jackson said. “Even with it being my first game, I was ready for it with no nervousness because it’s just what I like to do.”

SEMO will host Morehead State on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. hoping to get back to .500 in the OVC.