Southeast Captures Second Straight OVC Regular-Season Title With 85-50 Win At Jacksonville State :: Tarina Nixon and Sonya Daugherty lead Redhawks with 18 points apiece

Feb. 25, 2007

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Sophomore guards Tarina Nixon (Gilbert, Ariz./Highland) and Sonya Daugherty (St. Louis, Mo./Hancock) scored a game-high 18 points apiece as Southeast Missouri State women's basketball (21-7, 16-4) captured its second consecutive Ohio Valley Conference regular-season title Saturday night with an 85-50 win over host Jacksonville State (7-22, 4-16) at JSU's Pete Mathews Coliseum in Jacksonville, Ala.

The Redhawks captured an early 13-4 advantage in the first three minutes of the game that included a pair of three pointers from Nixon before Jacksonville State scored five of the next seven points to slice its deficit to 15-9 on a three from senior Cobie Carlisle with 15:38 remaining. Southeast then tallied 19 of the next 31 points during a near 10-minute stretch to capture its biggest lead of the half at 34-21 on a layup from junior guard Ashley Lovelady (Elkhart, Ind./Moberly Area CC). After a three-pointer from freshman Kelsey Johnikin pulled the home team to within seven (34-27) at the 2:39 mark, the Redhawks closed the stanza with a 4-2 run to enter intermission with a 40-29 lead.

A 15-5 scoring drive in the opening five minutes of the second half propelled the visitors to a commanding 55-34 lead, highlighted by five points from Daugherty and four points from senior center Lachelle Lyles (Chicago, Ill./Shelton State CC). The Gamecocks got no closer than 21 points for the rest of the game as Southeast later claimed its biggest lead at 80-41 on a jumper from senior center Joiceline Thesing (Partas Sao Carlo, Brazil/Labette County CC) at the 4:45 mark.

Junior forward Missy Whitney (Charleston, Mo./Three Rivers CC) added 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting with nine rebounds for the Redhawks. Lyles finished the game with 20 rebounds, five points and four assists in addition to capturing the OVC's single-season rebounding record. Lovelady contributed 11 points, six rebounds and three assists.

Johnikin paced Jacksonville State with 11 points, while sophomore Ashley Boykin added 10 points and three steals. Freshman Jolie Efezokhae nearly posted a double-double as she tallied 10 rebounds and eight points for the Gamecocks.

The Redhawks have earned the top seed in the 2007 O'Reilly Ohio Valley Conference Tournament and will host eighth-seeded Austin Peay at the Show Me Center in a first round contest this Tuesday (Feb. 27) with a start time of 7 p.m.