Cougars clip Southeast women 59-57

The Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team was the latest Ohio Valley Conference victim of a future league member.

Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville took advantage of 24 turnovers and held off the host Redhawks 59-57 on Tuesday night.

SIUE, which will join the OVC in the 2011-12 season, is just 6-17 against a rugged schedule. But the Cougars are 3-1 against OVC squads, including a win over conference power Morehead State.

"I think they're going to be a good, solid team [in the OVC]," Southeast coach John Ishee said of SIUE, in just its second Division I season. "You've got to give them credit."

Southeast, playing its final nonconference contest, fell to 7-14. The Redhawks have lost six of their last eight games.

TIM BRUMITT photos@semissourian.com (Southeast Missouri State's Erika Lane tries to keep the ball away from SIUE's Courtney Kenner, center, and Ashley Bey during the first half Tuesday at the Show Me Center.)

"They were good, but they were beatable," freshman forward Patricia Mack said of the Cougars.

SIUE may have lost had Mack been able to make a short shot with five seconds left and Southeast trailing 58-57.

After SIUE committed a turnover with 23 seconds left, Southeast called a timeout with 17 seconds remaining. The plan was to get the ball inside to Mack.

The pass to Mack was tipped, which appeared to throw off the timing of the play and forced her to take an off-balance shot with her left hand from just a couple feet away. It rimmed off.

While acknowledging she was off-balance, Mack said: "I still should have made it."

Said Ishee: "I was happy with our play after the timeout. We got a point-blank shot from our most athletic post player. If she makes it, in all likelihood, we would have won the game."

SIUE hit one of two free throws with four seconds left for the final margin that held up after freshman guard Shelah Fields drew a bit of iron on a half-court heave at the buzzer.

The Redhawks again played without their top three scorers, who are injured.

"My biggest disappointment, other than the loss, we're not playing with a sense of urgency our team has to play with because of our lack of firepower," Ishee said.

The 24 turnovers, which led to a 26-11 SIUE edge in points off turnovers, didn't help. The Cougars had only 13 turnovers.

"You have 24 turnovers against a team that plays seven, eight kids and half-court defense, it's going to be hard to win," Ishee said. "We got 11 less shots, for a team with not a lot of firepower right now."

Mack scored 13 points, the highest total of her young Southeast career. She has four straight double-figure performances after having just one previously.

"I got the chance to step up," said Mack, who added team highs of eight rebounds and three steals. "Coach needs me. I have to play hard every night."

No other Southeast player scored in double figures.

The Redhawks got six points off the bench from freshman center Shanece Miller, who had previously scored just six points all season.

Sophomore guard Melia Duncan paced SIUE with a game-high 18 points. She hit 3 of 5 from 3-point range.

Southeast scored the night's first six points and led 9-2, but that was the biggest advantage for either side.

A 7-0 run to end the opening half sent SIUE to the break up 30-28. It was the Cougars' first lead.

Although SIUE stayed ahead most of the second half, Southeast was able to regain the lead twice.

SIUE twice built five-point advantages -- its biggest -- before holding on at the end.

"They were one play better than us," Ishee said.

While freshman guard Jasmine Davis and junior wing Lauren Sharpe -- Southeast's Nos. 1 and 3 scorers -- are out for the season with injuries, freshman forward Bailie Roberts should return soon.

Ishee said Roberts, the Redhawks' No. 2 scorer who has a foot problem, remains doubtful for Saturday's OVC home game with first-place Eastern Illinois.

"She's getting a lot closer, but she's probably still a couple games away," Ishee said.