Southeast women's basketball team comes from behind to win at Central Arkansas

The Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team didn't always make the right play in its road game against Central Arkansas on Saturday, but it made all the plays when it needed them most.

The Redhawks held the Sugar Bears to just one point over the final 3 minutes, 11 seconds of the game and came from behind to win 48-46 at the Farris Center.

"It wasn't the prettiest game, but we fought and fought, and it came down to the end where we made a couple plays," Southeast coach Ty Margenthaler said. "... I was proud they kept with it because there was a few times in that game, especially in the second half, where it could've been easy to fold a little bit, and we didn't. I told the team after the game, I really think the experiences that we've gone through in the early stages of our season in some of the close games really helped us win this game, especially going back to the Ole Miss game really helped secure this win. It can only really give this team confidence when you come back and win an ugly game on the road."

Southeast trailed 45-39 before outscoring UCA 9-1 over the final 3:11 of the game.

A basket from junior forward Erin Bollmann and a pair of free throws and a putback from junior forward Connor King knotted the game at 45 with 58 seconds remaining in regulation.

The Sugar Bears made a free throw before the Redhawks took a one-point lead on a layup by senior guard Jasmine Robinson with 16 seconds to go. Bollman then knocked down a free throw that made it 48-46 before UCA got the ball back with six seconds on the clock.

UCA's Brianna Mullins heaved a 3-pointer as time expired and missed, but fell to the floor after apparent contact on the play. Margenthaler felt his team was fortunate to not have a foul called on them.

"It could've gone either way," Margenthaler said. "We were a little bit closer than I wanted to be to her, but fortunately it went our way tonight."

Southeast faced a 23-21 deficit at halftime after making just 9 of 26 field goals and turning the ball over 11 times.

"We missed a lot of bunnies, just silly careless turnovers that was just kind of sloppy and not being focused," Margenthaler said. "The one thing I really challenged our team on at halftime was I didn't think we had really good toughness. I thought they were stripping the ball from our post players quite often, so I think the difference was I thought we played a little tougher in the second half."

After getting to the free throw line just twice, and missing both, in the first half, Margenthaler wanted his team to be more aggressive around the basket and was pleased that his players made it to the line 11 times in the second half.

The Redhawks only shot 5 of 13 (38.5 percent) from the free-throw line, but four of their makes came in the final six minutes of the contest.

They were also 5 of 13 from behind the arc. Senior guard Allyson Bradshaw, who started in place of junior Olivia Hackmann, was 2 of 3 from 3-point range and was tasked with guarding the Sugar Bears' leading scorer, Maggie Proffitt, who averaged 14 points per game entering Saturday's contest and knocking down 20 3-pointers through seven games.

Proffitt was held to seven points and didn't make any of her five 3-point attempts. The Sugar Bears made just 1 of 11 (9.1 percent) from 3-point range.

"It was more for defensive purposes, honestly. She had been shooting the ball well, but it was more for just a defensive assignment," Margenthaler said of Bradshaw starting. "I thought that for us to be on the road and get a win we needed to get stops, and I thought that was the best shot going with Allyson."

Margenthaler also said that Robinson had a good individual defensive performance. Robinson, who was charged with a technical foul with about six minutes remaining in the game, was the only Redhawk to score in double figures. She finished with 14 points, three assists and a block.

King and Bollmann finished with 12 and 10 rebounds, respectively.

UCA was led by Kelsey McClure with 11 points and Brittany Agee with 10 points. McClure also had 11 rebounds.

"To be down six with four minutes to go on the road and things aren't really going the way you want them to go, that was kind of a gut call and I think it can only help this team know that they can get by being down like that," Margenthaler said. "That's got to be a confidence builder."

The Redhawks, who improved to 3-5 with the win, face UMKC on the road Wednesday.