NO. 13 Texas Tech powers to 85-56 win over Redhawks

LUBBOCK, Texas -- Natalie Purcell hit a three-pointer to start the game and the Southeast Missouri State women's basketball held a 6-2 lead early in their showdown with No. 13 Texas Tech.

But that was about the only time the Redhawks had the advantage all night.

Texas Tech (1-1) defeated the Redhawks 85-56 Friday night thanks in part to a 22-8 run that carried over from the first half.

National player of the year candidate Erin Grant scored 23 points while adding four more assists to her record total of 674 at Tech.

Tatiana Conceicao led all Redhawks (0-1) with 12 points along. Natalie Purcell had 11 and Simone Jackson added 10, as the Redhawks lost to a Big 12 team for the fifth time in four years.

Southeast coach B.J. Smith said his team never gained the momentum, allowing the Red Raiders to execute their game plan.

"We let them play how they wanted to," he said.

Conceicao, the reigning Ohio Valley Conference player of the year, helped Southeast pull within six points midway through the first half but was forced to sit out the final 8 minutes of the half after getting her third foul.

Grant and Alesha Robertson commanded a late first-half charge for Tech, combining for 17 points in the last 7 minutes to help Tech take a 44-31 lead into halftime.

"We got fouls where we didn't want them," Smith said. "It forced us to lay a little soft and then we had a hard time figuring out what fouls were and what they were not."

Fouls continued to haunt both teams in the second half when neither team hit a field goal for 5 minutes and the only scoring came from the free-throw line.

The Redhawks tried to stay alive with the 3-pointer, hitting 8 of 22 attempts. Purcell and Conceicao combined to hit five 3-pointers.

Although the Redhawks found ways to control Davis in the paint and get her into foul trouble, Grant took the game into her own hands to keep the lead for the Raiders.

"I think all of it was attacking and trying to find a way to the rim," Grant said.

Tech head coach Marsha Sharp said her team is starting to get in a groove with their offensive system in the absence of senior guard Chesley Dabbs, who is out for the season.

Southeast will host Arkansas-Monticello on Tuesday before playing in the HealthPoint Plaza Thanksgiving Classic over the holiday weekend.

Smith saw areas where his team can improve, choosing to sum it up in as few words as possible: "Everything in the game."