Redhawks falter vs. powerful Purdue

~ Southeast women's basketball team lost leading-scorer Missy Whitney to an ankle injury in Sunday's 51-41 road loss.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Despite shooting under 30 percent for the game and losing one of its best players with an injury early in the second half, the Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team still had a shot at beating Purdue on Sunday with about three minutes to go.

Purdue forward Lakisha Freeman, though, had other plans, scoring six of her game-high 17 points over the next 1 1/2 minutes as the taller and more physical Boilermakers beat the Redhawks 51-41 in front of 8,901 at Mackey Arena.

It was the fourth straight loss for Southeast (4-4) as it prepares for its Ohio Valley Conference opener against Tennessee State at home Thursday. It was a win needed as well by Purdue (3-4) , an Elite Eight participant last year but battling injuries this season.

Southeast point guard Tarina Nixon played only eight minutes in the game because of back problems and the Redhawks lost forward Missy Whitney with a possible broken foot at the beginning of the second half.

"Both teams have injuries," Southeast coach John Ishee said. "Tarina is kind of the glue to our team. Ashley Lovelady is actually a 2-guard who played the 1 for 39 minutes tonight. Tarina makes us run a little differently when she's out there."

In spite of everything, including a 48-30 rebounding deficit, Southeast held a 19-15 lead after a not-so-pretty first half of basketball by both teams and were within one point of the Boilermakers, 42-41, after a Sonya Daugherty basket with 2:56 remaining. Daugherty led the Redhawks with 11 points and added six steals and six assists.

That's when Freeman took over, scoring on a driving shot before she was fouled by Daugherty on Purdue's next possession. Freeman missed the free throw but knocked down another driving shot the next time Purdue went down the court and then a 10-foot jumper to make it 48-41.

Purdue's 6-foot-4 center Danielle Campbell proved to be a headache for Southeast, scoring eight of her 10 points in the second half and grabbing 12 rebounds.

"We had a couple of breakdowns from some of our younger kids where there were two high back screens set," Ishee said. "That kind of turned the game. Anytime we play somebody that has great length the way Purdue has or Baylor has, it's tough to get good looks at the basket."

Purdue coach Sharon Versyp said she was not surprised by the nature of the game and was just pleased the Boilermakers were able to break a four-game losing streak of their own.

"I knew this game would be like this," Versyp said. "I knew it would be grinding out. We're physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted. Being able to put a little bit of a second half together and make a run and be able knock down some shots when we needed to . . . we continue to get a little bit better in different areas."

Southeast shot 23.4 percent from the field (15-of-64) and managed to get to the free throw line four times in the game, making all four. But Purdue turned the ball over 22 times, 16 of those in the first half and helped the Redhawks stay close.

A Daugherty 3-pointer at the 18:32 mark of the second half gave Southeast its biggest lead, 22-17, but the Redhawks could never capitalize without their missing parts.

Purdue didn't shoot much better in the first half, going 5-of-22 (22.7 percent), but made up for it with transition and second-chance baskets down low to shoot 45.5 percent (10-of-22) in the second half.