Southeast women hold on for first road win

RICHMOND, Ky. -- The Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team has struggled offensively most of the season.

That didn't change Saturday, but the Redhawks turned to their defense to pick up their first road win.

Southeast allowed a season-low point total in beating Eastern Kentucky 43-41 and snapping an 11-game road losing streak dating back to last year. The Redhawks had dropped their first eight road contests this season.

"It gives us good confidence now when we go on the road," freshman forward Bailie Roberts said. "It was a good win. Everybody contributed."

The Redhawks were able to salvage one victory during a rugged eight-day stretch that saw them play three road games against upper-tier Ohio Valley Conference squads.

Southeast was routed by 38 points at Morehead State on Thursday and 28 points at Eastern Illinois last Saturday.

Eastern Illinois leads the OVC, Morehead State is second and EKU fell into fourth place after suffering its third consecutive defeat.

Southeast improved to 6-10 overall and 3-4 in the OVC as the Redhawks remained sixth in the 10-team conference.

EKU is 8-9 and 5-3 after losing to Southeast for the seventh straight time.

"It's huge, huge. It couldn't have been a better win," Southeast coach John Ishee said. "Playing with eight freshmen on the road, we just got beat really bad the last two games. ... I can't tell you how proud I am of them."

The Redhawks notched their first win while playing without leading scorer Jasmine Davis and third-leading scorer Lauren Sharpe, who missed their third straight game.

Davis, a freshman guard averaging 10 points per game, suffered a season-ending knee injury less than two weeks ago.

Sharpe, a junior wing averaging 7.2 points and ranking among the OVC steals leaders, is out indefinitely with back problems. Ishee said there is a strong chance she won't play again this year.

So Southeast is down to 11 available players, eight of them freshmen. Two others are sophomores, with one senior.

"We hate to have to [play without Davis and Sharpe], but this shows we can," said center Lesley Adams, the squad's lone senior. "We have to step up collectively."

EKU also played without its top scorer as Talisha Davis, averaging 11.7 points, was out of town due to a death in her family.

"They were missing a key player and we're missing two key players," Ishee said. "You have to play with what you have."

Southeast won despite shooting 30.4 percent from the field and committing 19 turnovers. EKU shot 33.3 percent and committed 23 turnovers.

"Defense was the key. The intensity was there," Adams said. "We did things we haven't been doing. We hustled. Everybody was diving on the floor."

The Redhawks got a boost from freshman guard Monica Miller, who had team highs of 10 points, eight rebounds and three steals in her fourth start of the season. Miller scored eight first-half points.

"At the beginning of the game, coach told me to be more aggressive," said Miller, who entered the contest averaging 2.2 points and 0.7 rebounds, with two steals all year. "I tried to do whatever my team needed. It was a team win. Everybody contributed."

Miller hit 3 of 5 from the field and made all four of her free throws in addition to her strong work on the boards and defensively.

"Monica played outstanding," Ishee said.

Roberts added nine points -- seven in the first half -- and seven rebounds, while Adams contributed six points and six rebounds.

The game was close throughout, with 13 lead changes and four ties. EKU's biggest advantage was nine points in the first half, while Southeast led by six points early in the second half.

Southeast carried a 26-25 edge into the break as sophomore point guard Bianca Beck hit a runner just before the buzzer.

The Redhawks trailed 37-35 with a little more than nine minutes left, then held EKU scoreless for more than six minutes while using a 6-0 run to lead 41-37. The go-ahead basket came on a short jumper by freshman wing Katie Norman with 6:40 left.

Southeast was able to survive a sloppy finish that saw the Redhawks commit several turnovers. But EKU could not capitalize.

Beck missed the front end of a 1-and-1 with 18 seconds left and Southeast leading 43-41.

In the final seconds, EKU missed a shot from within a few feet and Adams recorded a crucial block after the Colonels grabbed an offensive rebound.

Southeast committed a foul in a scramble for the ball after Adams' block, but it was just the Redhawks' sixth foul of the half, so EKU was forced to inbound with only five-tenths of a second left. The Colonels couldn't get off a shot.

"We played together and we played extremely hard," Ishee said. "We looked like a basketball team."

The Redhawks now have two straight home games, Thursday against Tennessee-Martin and Saturday against Murray State.

"It will be nice to get home and defend our home court," Roberts said.