Skyhawks trounce Redhawks in Lexi Rubel’s return to Cape Girardeau

Kenley McCarn scored 23 points to lead UT Martin past Southeast Missouri State 78-54 on Thursday, Jan. 30, at the Show Me Center.

Shae Littleford scored 14 points and Anaya Brown added 13 points for the Skyhawks (8-14, 5-6 OVC). Notre Dame alum and UT Martin junior Lexi Rubel scored five points but led the team with nine rebounds.

The freshmen led the way for the Redhawks (4-16, 2-9 OVC), as Zoe Best scored a team-high 17 points and center Ainaya Williams scored 16 points with nine rebounds and eight blocks for a near triple-double.

This was Williams’ best game since scoring 22 points with nine rebounds against Tennessee Tech on Jan. 16.

“I would say that what kind of clicked for me tonight is that I needed to start to step it up,” Williams said. “I kind of been struggling with staying in the game, which affects my offense and my defense. So tonight, I was able to stay in for a long time without fouls.”

The Redhawks shot 38.9% from the field (21 of 54), including 25% from the 3-point line (5 of 20), and 70% from the free-throw line (7 of 10). The Skyhawks held the advantage from 3-point line (7 of 19) and the charity stripe (25 of 26).

The Redhawks started the game on an 8-2 run and led 14-11 after a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from half-court by Jariyah Williamson.

A 14-0 run in the second quarter propelled the Skyhawks to the front, as they went into halftime leading 33-21.

Being held to seven points in the second quarter proved to be the Redhawks’ undoing. They were competitive in the third quarter, with UT Martin only able to extend its lead by one point. A 28-17 fourth quarter was more than the Skyhawks needed to complete the rout.

To say this is a rebuilding season for SEMO is an understatement. It is a brand-new roster with a coach experiencing Division I basketball for the first time.

Growing pains were expected but at least the Redhawks can take solace in currently exceeding the expectations of a last-place finish in the Ohio Valley Conference.

The Redhawks are tied with SIU Edwardsville and Morehead State for eighth place in the OVC and the final spot in the conference tournament. SEMO will host last-place Tennessee State on Saturday, Feb. 1.

“Obviously, we need to win really bad,” Williams said.