Redhawks Post 61-50 Win At Buffalo For Fourth Straight Victory :: Tarina Nixon leads Southeast with 15 points on a career high-tying five three-pointers in first half

Tarina Nixon leads Southeast with 15 points on a career high-tying five three-pointers in first half

Dec. 23, 2006

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Sophomore guard Tarina Nixon (Gilbert, Ariz./Highland) scored a team-high 15 points on 5-of-9 shooting from three-point range to help Southeast Missouri State capture its fourth consecutive victory Friday night with a 61-50 win at Buffalo. The Redhawks, who earned their first non-conference road win since 2004, improved their record to 7-4, while the Bulls fell to 4-7.

Southeast claimed an early 10-4 lead on a Nixon trey at the 16:38 mark of the opening half, but the home team quickly rebounded with six straight points in a minute to even the score at 10-10. The Redhawks would later scored 17 of the next 27 points in a stretch of 11 minutes to capture a 27-20 lead with 3:22 left in the half on a jumper from junior guard Ashley Lovelady (Elkhart, Ind./Moberly Area CC). The visitors then tallied five of the final nine points of the half to take a 32-24 lead into the halftime break.

The Bulls bounced back with a 12-6 scoring drive in the first five minutes of the second half to close within two points (38-36) at the 15:25 mark on a layup by junior Heather Turner. Consecutive jumpers from Lovelady and junior forward Missy Whitney (Charleston, Mo./Three Rivers CC) and a layup from sophomore guard Sonya Daugherty (St. Louis, Mo./Hancock) helped Southeast increase its advantage to 44-36 with 14 minutes remaining in the game. A jumper from sophomore forward Rachel Blunt (Dexter, Mo./Dexter) later gave the Redhawks a 51-41 lead, their biggest of the game.

Another quick 6-0 run from Buffalo sliced Southeast's lead to 51-47 with under five minutes left, but a pair of Whitney free throws and a fast break layup by senior center Lachelle Lyles (Chicago, Ill./Shelton State CC) brought the lead back to eight at 55-47 with 2:04 remaining. The Redhawks closed the game by going 6-of-8 from the charity stripe, including 4-of-6 by Lyles in the final minute.

Lovelady and Whitney also posted double-digit scoring efforts for Southeast with 10 points, respectively, while Lyles finished with a game-high 11 rebounds to go along with nine points and a career best four blocked shots. Daugherty added seven points, three rebounds and two assists and sophomore Szandra Pal (Budapest, Hungary/Vorosmarty Mihaly) contributed a career high four assists and three rebounds.

Turner led all scorers with 19 points on 8-of-16 shooting for Buffalo. Junior Stephanie Bennett was the other player in double figures for the Bulls as she posted 10 points along with five caroms.

The Redhawks return to action on Dec. 28 as they welcome Martin Methodist to the Show Me Center for an afternoon matinee with a start time of 2 p.m.