Slow start catches up with Redhawks in loss at Martin

~ Southeast trailed by 12 at halftime in a 63-54 loss to the Skyhawks.

MARTIN, Tenn. -- Considering that Tennessee-Martin had lost just one Ohio Valley Conference home game all season, Southeast Missouri State acting head coach John Ishee did not expect an easy time Saturday.

But Ishee and the Redhawks got more than they bargained for, as the Skyhawks beat Southeast convincingly 63-54.

Second-place Southeast (15-7, 10-4) fell a full game behind league-leading Morehead State in the OVC standings. The squads square off Thursday in Cape Girardeau.

UTM (13-10, 8-7) improved its record to 7-1 in OVC play at Skyhawk Arena. The Skyhawks won just six conference games all last season, when they went 8-19 overall.

"I think this might be the toughest place in the OVC to play," Ishee said. "I knew it was going to be a really tough game."

While Ishee anticipated UTM putting up a strong effort, he probably didn't expect such a futile performance by his squad.

The Redhawks, who never led or were tied, scored just 15 first-half points and fell four points below their previous season-low point total in OVC play.

"The game was won in the first half. We were very lethargic for whatever reason," Ishee said. "They just outworked us in the first half, no question."

Southeast figured to have an edge because UTM played without its second-leading scorer and rebounder.

All-league senior forward Andreika Jackson, averaging 12 points and six rebounds, missed the game with a knee injury.

But the Skyhawks seemed to rally around their fallen star and took control from the outset.

"We talked about in practice that people had to step up," UTM coach Tara Tansil said.

The Redhawks went scoreless for nearly the first 5 minutes of the contest, during which time they fell behind 5-0.

And things only got worse from there for Southeast, which trailed 27-15 at halftime, thanks largely to hitting six of 25 field goals for a paltry 24 percent.

"I just felt like in the first half we settled for too many quick shots off of one pass," Ishee said. "You don't beat good teams on the road that way."

UTM opened its biggest advantage of 35-17 with about 16 minutes remaining. A brief flurry pulled Southeast to within 38-29.

The Skyhawks regained control and took a 53-38 lead and less than 4 minutes to play.

Southeast finally made things interesting with a quick 8-0 run capped by sophomore guard Sonya Daugherty's layup at the 3:29 mark that sliced the deficit to 53-46.

The Redhawks wasted several opportunities to get even closer over the next 2 minutes, including when sophomore guard Tarina Nixon missed two free throws with 1:31 left.

UTM was virtually assured of holding off the Redhawks when Southeast, while trying to foul, was called for an intentional foul with 55 seconds to go.

That brought protest from Ishee, who was hit with a technical foul. UTM made three of four free throws and retained possession. The Skyhawks hit two more foul shots with 51 seconds remaining for a 58-46 lead that basically sealed the verdict.

"We competed our butts off in the second half," Ishee said. "But the game was lost in the first half."

Daugherty led the Redhawks with 24 points. But no other Southeast player scored more than eight points.

Junior forward Missy Whitney, the Redhawks' leading scorer at more than 13 points per game, had just two points as she hit one of nine shots.

Southeast senior center Lachelle Lyles, the nation's leading rebounder with an average of 17 per game, pulled down 18 boards.

But, for just the second time in an OVC game this season, the Redhawks were outrebounded as UTM held a 41-37 advantage on the glass.

"It was a tough loss for us, but Tennessee-Martin just played harder than we did," Lyles said.

The Redhawks improved their shooting in the second half, but still finished at just 33.3 percent. UTM shot 35.2 percent for the game.