Nov. 29, 2005

Final Stats |  Photo Gallery

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - (Tuesday, November 29, 2005) Since the renewal of the Southeast Missouri State and Southern Illinois University-Carbondale women's basketball rivalry in 2001 it has been one-sided as the Redhawks have won the last three games in blowout fashion. On Tuesday evening the rivalry revealed a new chapter as both teams played a competitive game that could be best described as a track meet.

However, in the end it was the Redhawks (3-2) that eventually pulled away and distanced themselves from the Salukis (3-1) as they used a 26-4 run to start off the second half and give the Salukis their first loss of the season, 74-63 at the Show Me Center.

Down one at the half, 32-31 the Redhawks defense held the Salukis in check after a first half that saw them shot 50-percent from the field. Holding the Salukis scoreless for the first for minutes the Redhawks opened up with 14 straight points as the Redhawks seemed to hit every shot they took.

Simone Jackson (Kingston, Jamaica/Southeastern Illinois CC) scored five points in that span as the Salukis had no answer. A Wanika Owsley (Indianapolis, IN/Southeastern Illinois CC) layup gave the Redhawks their largest lead of the game 57-36 and the Salukis would get no closer than the 11-point difference in the final score as the Redhawks shot a scorching 62.5-percent from the field in the second half including 80-percent (4-5) from behind the three-point arc.

The first half was another story as it featured seven ties and six lead changes. Early on it looked as though the Redhawks would hold the upper-hand but the scrappy Salukis kept it close and eventually grabbed the lead at the half.

After scoring 27 points against the Salukis last season Tatiana Conceicao (Sao Paulo, Brazil/Western Nebraska CC) matched that total this time around as she went 8-16 from the field and an amazing 11-12 from the charity stripe. She also recorded seven rebounds. It was the third-straight game Conceicao has scored 20 or more points.

Jackson again continued her hot shooting as she finished with 16 points on 6-9 shooting. She put her 1-9 performance from the free throw line against Henderson state behind her as she made all four of her freebies. Showing that she is the all-around player that the Redhawks need to succeed she finished with four rebounds and five assists.

Natalie Purcell (Auckland, New Zealand/Hutchinson CC) recorded her second double-double of the season as she scored 10 points and matched her career-high with 10 rebounds. She was 4-6 from the field including two three-pointers. She also showed an aggressive defensive side as she swiped three passes and blocked a career-high three shots.

Freshman Tarina Nixon (Gilbert, AZ/Highland) got her first start of the season and responded with five points (all during the key second-half run), five rebounds and three assists.

Tiffanne Ryan (Oklahoma City, OK/Westmoore) came off the bench to add six points as she sank two clutch three pointers down the stretch.

Junior Joiceline Thesing (Partas Sao Carlo, Brazil/Labette County CC) came within one block of tying the school record for block shots in a game with five blocks in only nine minutes of action. She also added two rebounds, one steal and scored four points.

The Redhawks were helped in large part to their free throw shooting as they went 17-22 from the charity stripe.

For the game the Redhawks shot 47-percent and held the Salukis to 42-percent.

The Salukis finished with three players in double figures led by Erin Pauk with 19 points (13 in the first half). Pauk shot 6-12 from the field (4-7 from three-point range) and grabbed a team-high five rebounds.

Jayme Sweere scored 13 points and the Salukis leading scorer Carlai Moore was held to 12 points.

The Redhawks look to extend their two-game winning streak and exact some revenge to the team that snapped their 11-game home winning streak last week as they travel to Milwaukee, Wisconsin to take on the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in the second and final game of their home-and-home series Friday, December 2 at 7:00 p.m.