Loss keeps Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team out of OVC tournament

The Southeast Missouri State women's basketball program's Ohio Valley Conference tournament drought continues.

The Redhawks, who have not reached the eight-team conference tournament since 2009, were eliminated from the postseason race with a 49-48 loss to Eastern Illinois on Saturday at Lantz Arena. Southeast dropped to 10-17 overall and 3-11 in conference.

"Definitely upsetting, of course," fourth-year Southeast coach Ty Margenthaler said. "I haven't talked a lot about the tournament, to be honest with you. I talked about the situation that we're in, of course that we need to win games to get in, but I didn't let them know exactly that we're officially out of it after the ballgame. I didn't feel it was the proper time. I did mention to them that just for our seniors' sake we've got to go out with pride and we've got to try to get two wins. We've got a week left of basketball, and do it the right way and the young kids have got to build for the future.

"At this point they've all worked hard, they're all giving their best. If not we'd be getting blown out, and we're not. We're right in games. We're right where we need to be. I know they're all wanting to do it and all wanting to do the right things. ... It's amazing that we shot 26 percent, and we still had the chance to win the game."

After trailing by as many as 12 points with 3 minutes, 32 seconds remaining in the first half, the Redhawks cut it to 26-18 at the break.

Southeast made just 7 of 30 field goal attempts in the first half, missing several baskets inside the paint.

EIU pushed its lead back to 11 points over the first 4:35 of the second half as Southeast turned the ball over on four of its first six possessions, but the Redhawks steadily chipped away and cut it to 40-37 with 5:42 remaining on a 3-pointer by senior guard Jasmine Robinson.

Southeast cut it to 45-44 with 3:06 left before EIU's Alece Shumper drained a 3 with 1:07 left to push the Panthers' lead back four.

Sophomore guard Brianna Mitchell hit four free throws -- two each with 58 seconds left and 24 seconds left -- to tie it at 48.

EIU forward Sabina Oroszova made the second of a pair of free throws with 9 seconds to go, and the Redhawks got the ball back trailing by one following a timeout.

Southeast went the length of the floor and Mitchell got off a shot in the lane but missed. EIU (10-17, 7-7 OVC) secured its spot in the conference tournament with the win.

"She slipped a little bit, still had a decent look at it, but I would've done it again," Margenthaler said. "It was working for us, and Bri was the one that was really rolling, so I wanted to go to her. Unfortunately, she missed, but I do like the fact that she wanted the ball in her hands."

Mitchell finished with 20 points in the game, including 14 in the second half, and was 10 of 10 from the free-throw line. Robinson, who had been sick leading up to the game, added 17 in 28 minutes off the bench.

"I thought Jasmine was having a good night down on the block, so we did a couple plays for her to get open on the low block and she scored," Margenthaler said of second-half adjustments. "Brianna did a great job just attacking the basket."

Oroszova finished with a game-high 22 points and 15 rebounds. Forward Erica Brown added 10 points.

"I thought we did a tremendous job of every shot that she took was a very contested and difficult shot for her, and I thought our guards did a great job of shutting down their guards. They had no production from their guard corps," Margenthaler said of Oroszova.

The Panthers shot just 25.9 percent from the floor in the second half, and Southeast out-rebounded them 45-38 in the game.

"That's what really kept us in the game for the 40 minutes, our defense," Margenthaler said. "We rebounded the basketball really well. For the most part we did a good job of knowing their drivers and who the shooters were. We did a tremendous job on that end, but unfortunately starting the game out I really thought we got a few nice layups, 5-foot jumpers that just didn't go in, but our energy and effort on the defensive end really allowed us to remain in the game. Got hot a little bit in the second half, but just a little too late."

The Redhawks travel to Edwardsville, Illinois, to face SIU Edwardsville on Wednesday night and conclude the regular season with a home game against Austin Peay on Saturday.