Nov. 9, 2009

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CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (Monday, November 9, 2009) – The Redhawks women’s basketball team fell behind early and couldn’t cut into a huge Christian Brothers lead eventually falling 71-55 in their home exhibition game at the Show Me Center on Monday evening. The loss was the first exhibition loss for Head Coach John Ishee since taking over the Redhawks program.

In the opening half the Redhawks showed their inexperience as they struggled from the field, shooting just 25-percent (8-32). However they managed to stay close thanks to the three-point arc.

The Redhawks went 4-7 from beyond the arc to account for 12 of their 22 points.

Unfortunately the Lady Bucs were just as lethal from three as they connected on six of their 11 attempts including Tameka Wooten opening the game with a quick three.

The Redhawks used back-to-back treys by freshman Jasmine Davis to grab their first of two leads in the game, 6-5. The Lady Bucs responded with a 15-3 run to grab a 20-9 advantage. The Redhawks went nearly three and half minutes without scoring during that span.

That lead would eventually swell to as much as 17 points for the Lady Bucs twice in the first half including a 30-13 lead with 6:24 remaining.

The Redhawks would use a 7-1 run to cut the lead to 11 with 1:28 left but a Normanique Johnson three and Wooten jumper sandwiched between a Bianca Beck short jumper gave the Lady Bucs a 36-22 advantage heading into the locker rooms.

The second half was just as unkind for the young Redhawks who started two freshmen and played eight of their nine newcomers.

The Redhawks could only pull to within 15 points, 51-36 on a Patricia Mack three-pointer at the 12:06 mark. Just like in the first half the Lady Bucs would answer with a three and steal the momentum.

The Lady Bucs twice grabbed leads of 21 points with their last coming with 2:26 remaining, 70-49.

The Redhawks still fought hard despite the lead and scored six of the final seven baskets of the game to make it a final 16-point deficit.

In the second half the Redhawks shot better at 45-percent but the Lady Bucs continued their hot shooting with a 60-percent half. For the game the Redhawks shot 34-percent and the Lady Bucs finished at 54-percent including 53-percent from beyond the arc. The Redhawks went 6-10 from three-point range.

The Redhawks committed 19 turnovers that resulted in 23 points for the Lady Bucs. In second chance points the Redhawks held a 15-8 advantage.

The Redhawks bench was a bright spot as they accounted for 27 points.

Mack was one of three freshmen that scored in double-figures as she finished with a team-high 11 points off the bench. She went 4-7 from the field (2-3 from three-point) and collected five rebounds.

Brittany Harriel matched Mack with 11 points as she went 5-10 from the floor.

Davis finished with ten points with eight of those coming in the first half. She to finished with five rebounds.

Bailie Roberts scored nine points and grabbed five boards. Senior Lesley Adams led the team with six rebounds including four offensively.

The Redhawks shutdown Wooten in the second half as she just managed two points but still finished with a game-high 18 points on 6-10 shooting (4-5 from three-point). She also had six rebounds, four assists and a game-high three steals.

Johnson had 17 points on 6-7 shooting (2-2 from three-point range) and a game-high eight assists. Sheena DeBose scored 14 on 7-9 shooting. Jasmine Ellis finished with a game-high nine rebounds.

The Redhawks will open the regular season this Friday in the first of three-straight home games. They host the University of Missouri-St. Louis at the Show Me Center at 7:00 p.m.