Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team routs Lindenwood-Belleville in final exhibition

Southeast Missouri State women's basketball coach Rekha Patterson was thankful for all the fans that chose to come watch her team in its final exhibition game on Wednesday night, knowing the Redhawks were competing with the Country Music Awards and hit show Empire on TV.

As pleased as she was for the attendance in the second chance to see the Redhawks in action, she was just as impressed with her team's follow-up performance as they defeated Lindenwood-Belleville 108-59 at the Show Me Center after the their 43-point victory in their first exhibition on Sunday.

"Before the game started, I told them I don't want us to be a one-hit wonder with our energy, effort and attitude," Patterson said, "and I felt like we did a good job of that tonight, of not being a one-hit wonder."

The game was tied at 12-all 4 minutes, 2 seconds into the contest, but Southeast led the remainder of the way after a pair of Imani Johnson free throws.

The Redhawks led 30-23 at the end of the first quarter.

Southeast Missouri State's Olivia Hackmann gets a shot off past Lindenwood-Belleville players in the first period Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2015 at the Show Me Center. (Glenn Landberg)

"The first game, it sort of came a little easy to us, and tonight they came out and hit the first four [shots]. So then how do you respond to that?" Patterson said. "Because every night when you come out, it's not just going to happen for you."

Southeast began the second quarter with a 14-0 run that was capped by back-to-back 3-pointers from Dexter graduate and sophomore guard Hannah Noe, which made it 44-23 with 6:11 left in the half.

The Redhawks held the Lynx to seven points the remainder of the first half and only allowed two second-quarter field goals as they took a 53-30 lead into the break.

Southeast was 22 of 55 from the field and hit 5 of 14 from 3-point range in the first half. Senior guard Olivia Hackmann scored 21 of her 27 points in the first half on 10-of-17 shooting.

"You've got to give credit to the defensive end as well because our defense that we play this year is unbelievable," Noe said, "and so with us getting stops on defense, we're able to push the ball like we are on offense because we're always in the passing lanes."

The Redhawks held Lindenwood to 29 second-half points and 33.3 percent from the field. They forced 28 turnovers in the game.

"You're going hard, 100 percent, every single time on defense or you're staying on for five more reps, five more reps, five more reps," Noe said of the team's defensive practices, "so I think the intensity on the defensive end has picked up a lot this year. And it's helped us out a lot."

Southeast Missouri State's Katia Polk gets a shot off in the second period against Lindenwood-Belleville Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2015 at the Show Me Center. (Glenn Landberg)

Noe, who played 21 minutes off the bench, scored 21 points, had five rebounds, three assists and two steals. All of her points came from beyond the arc where she was 7 of 10.

"Hannah Noe finding the 3-point shot and then point guards and post players running and finding her, I thought that was all good," Patterson said.

After not scoring 100 points since the 2006 season, the Redhawks put up 100 in both of their exhibition games.

They made 42 of 92 shots in the game and shot 54.1 percent in the second half, including 58.3 percent from 3-point range, and led by as many as 53 with 4:27 left.

Freshman point guard Adrianna Murphy dished out nine assists while junior guard Brianna Mitchell had six.

"I feel like we're constantly pushing the ball," senior forward and Meadow Heights graduate Erin Bollmann said. "We never have a down time. It's always running, running, running, whether we're on defense or offense, so I just think the pace and the intensity that we bring now is why we're scoring so much."

Bollmann finished with 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting with 12 rebounds, four steals and two blocks in 19 minutes off the bench. Redshirt freshman Imani Johnson had 14 points and six rebounds.

"Erin could start for us, and there's a good chance she probably will. But for her to come in and provide the production that she did and also the leadership that she did was really huge," Patterson said.

Southeast Missouri State's Erin Bollmann shoots in the first period against Lindenwood-Belleville Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2015 at the Show Me Center. (Glenn Landberg)

The Redhawks finished with 21 turnovers -- 13 in the second half -- which Patterson stressed a need for improvement, as well as the team's defensive efforts at the start of games.

"We can't have 21 turnovers, that's for sure," Patterson said. "Even if we score 108 points, I don't think we can turn it over 21 times. I think our start defensively, we need to be better. We have to sit down and buckle down and play defense. We have to make people uncomfortable, and all five players have to be on the same page."

Southeast opens the regular season on Nov. 14 at Saint Louis.

"They always say that you play to the level of competition, and I feel that we completely went past that," Bollmann said. "We were working on what we need to do instead of focusing on who they are."