SEMO women let double-digit lead slip away in loss to EKU

The Southeast Missouri State Redhawks let an 18-point lead slip away in the second half as they fell to the Eastern Kentucky Colonels 57-48 on Tuesday at the Show Me Center.

The Redhawks controlled the game for the entirety of the first-half backed by a 14 point first-half from Jaliyah Green.

“She came out aggressive,” Redhawks head coach Rekha Patterson said. “She built off the way she finished our last game and we told her in practice she’s got to do that.”

Southeast’s success early was predicated on its defense as the Redhawks forced five turnovers in the first quarter alone.

“We were able to score in transition from our defense,” Patterson said. “I thought our 1-3-1 defense caused them some issues by getting them back on their heels.”

The relentless defense continued into the second quarter as the Redhawks forced nine turnovers in that quarter, turning defense into offense.

“That’s how we like to play,” Patterson said. “That’s us playing to our identity and us playing our best basketball. We just have to figure out ways to create that in the second half when we’re struggling.”

Leading the charge on turning defense into offense was Kiyley Flowers who had three steals and three assists for the Redhawks.

“Kiyley can do a lot,” Patterson said. “Obviously her scoring isn’t there yet this year but it will come. I thought her defensive intensity, her pressure and her pace were very good.”

While the lead was built up to as many as 18 in the second quarter, Southeast held just a 35-24 lead heading into the locker room at halftime.

All the good work the Redhawks did to control the game quickly evaporated as the Colonels opened the third quarter on a 15-4 run to even the game at 39.

“We had a gameplan of defending their leading scorer a certain way and we went away from that a couple possessions and she was able to score,” Patterson said. “You just can’t let a player like that get going.”

With seemingly everything going wrong in the third quarter, the Redhawks still held a 46-43 lead entering the fourth quarter.

In the fourth quarter, neither team could buy a bucket as it was 47-45 Redhawks at the under five media timeout.

After Green split a pair of free throws with 4:45 left in the fourth to make it 48-45 Redhawks, the Colonels leveled things thanks to a corner three by Antwainette Walker.

Following the Walker three to tie the game the Colonels used that as fuel to go on a 12-0 run to put the game away.

In the fourth quarter the Redhawks shot 0-for-11 from the field and in the second half they shot 3-for-30.

“We had some very good looks, we just didn’t finish,” Patterson said. “We just have to go back and figure out why we didn’t finish.”

Despite the second-half struggles on offense, the Redhawks were led by Green who had 19 points in the loss.

Alecia Doyle had 11 points and Indiya Bowen had 6 points to also contribute for the Redhawks.

The Redhawks (2-8) have one final tuneup before conference play at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 21, against the Evansville Purple Aces at the Show Me Center.