Feb. 18, 2007

Box Score

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Junior forward Missy Whitney (Charleston, Mo./Three Rivers CC) scored a game-high 14 points to lead Southeast Missouri State women's basketball to a 58-52 victory over visiting Tennessee-Martin in its Ohio Valley Conference home finale Saturday night at the Show Me Center. With the win, the Redhawks improved to 19-7 (14-4) on the year, while the Skyhawks dropped their season record to 14-13 (9-10).

Tennessee-Martin captured an early 6-2 lead in the game's first two minutes, highlighted by a pair of layups from junior Alishia Glover, but Southeast sliced its deficit to 6-4 just 30 seconds later on a couple of free throws from sophomore guard Sonya Daugherty (St. Louis, Mo./Hancock). Consecutive baskets by junior Crystal Fuller jumpstarted a 14-2 scoring drive over a three-plus minute stretch to propel the Skyhawks to their biggest lead of the game at 20-6 with 12:50 remaining. The Redhawks came back with an 18-7 run of their own with seven points coming from Whitney to close within three points at 27-24 that was capped by a Lyles layup with two minutes left in the stanza. Senior Kimberly Cox connected on a jumper with 24 seconds left to give Tennessee-Martin a 29-24 advantage heading into halftime.

The Skyhawks increased their leading margin to 11 points (37-26) thanks to a 9-2 over the first three minutes of the second half. A three-pointer from sophomore guard Szandra Pal (Budapest, Hungary/Vorosmarty Mihaly) and four points from senior center Joiceline Thesing (Partas Sao Carlo, Brazil/Labette County CC) brought Southeast to close the visitor's leading margin to 37-33 at the 14:52 mark. Tennessee-Martin then scored 10 of the next 14 points in five minutes to increase its lead at 47-37, capped by a freshman Nicole Holman three-pointer at 9:41. The Redhawks then scored the next 12 points in a row over a 4:08 stretch to claim their first lead of the night at 49-47 on a pair of free throws from senior center Lachelle Lyles (Chicago, Ill./Shelton State CC) with 5:33 remaining, but the Skyhawks regained the lead at 50-49 on a sophomore Phyllisha Mitchell free throw and a layup by Glover. Sophomore guard Tarina Nixon (Gilbert, Ariz./Highland) connected on her second three-pointer of the half and Whitney converted a layup mark to give Southeast a 54-50 lead with 1:54 remaining. The Redhawks closed the game by hitting four of six from the charity stripe with a Fuller layup sandwiched in for the final margin.

Lyles posted her fourth straight double-double for Southeast with 11 points and 16 rebounds, while going 7-of-8 from the free throw line. Daugherty added 11 points, three steals and two rebounds and Nixon added nine points with three steals. Fuller and Glover led Tennessee-Martin with 12 points apiece, while Mitchell produced a team-best five rebounds. Holeman added eight points and four rebounds.

Lyles and Thesing were honored for their contributions to the Southeast women's basketball program in a Senior Day ceremony at the end of game.

The Redhawks travel to Alabama next week for their final two regular-season games, beginning Feb. 22 at Samford with a start time of 5 p.m.