Southeast fails to clinch tourney berth

~ Tennessee State handed the Redhawks their fifth straight loss, winning 58-35

The Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team failed to lock down an Ohio Valley Conference tournament berth Thursday night.

Southeast is running out of time as it tries to avoid missing the event for the second straight year.

Host Tennessee State romped 58-35 in Nashville, Tenn. A win would have sent the Redhawks to next week's tournament in Nashville.

Southeast still is alive to make the eight-team event but likely must win Saturday's tough regular-season finale at Austin Peay while receiving help from elsewhere around the conference.

Southeast (8-20, 4-13) suffered its fifth straight loss and dropped into a tie for eighth place in the 10-team league, along with Murray State.

TSU (9-19, 5-12) moved ahead of the Redhawks into seventh place.

The Redhawks fell behind 10-0 on Thursday and never caught up.

Southeast, trailing 18-5, pulled within 18-13 but trailed 36-20 at halftime after a 3-pointer at the buzzer by TSU sophomore guard Denisha Mumford.

Mumford, who entered the game having scored nine points all year, matched that total in the opening period. She hit three 3-pointers after previously connecting on just one trey this season.

The Redhawks threatened a comeback by holding TSU to just two points over the first 9 1/2 minutes of the second half.

Southeast cut the deficit to 38-29, but the Tigers scored the next seven points to go ahead 45-29 and never were threatened again.

Sophomore forward Brittany Harriel was Southeast's only double-figure scorer with 12 points. She also led with eight rebounds.

Sophomore center Courtney Shiffer blocked two shots, giving her 35 to tie for eighth place on the program's single-season list.

The Redhawks shot just 18.8 percent from the field and committed 27 turnovers.

Sophomore center Destiney Gaston paced TSU with 14 points. Mumford had 13.

TSU shot 40 percent and had 26 turnovers in the mistake-filled contest.

Southeast will face a difficult challenge Saturday at fifth-place Austin Peay (12-17, 11-6), which beat Southeast 65-57 on Dec. 2 in Cape Girardeau.

The Redhawks will qualify for the tournament if they knock off Austin Peay and Murray State loses at home to last-place Eastern Kentucky.

Southeast would get in with a win even if Murray wins as long as TSU loses at home to Eastern Illinois. That would force a three-way tie for seventh place, with the Redhawks and Tigers holding the tie-breaker over Murray.

Southeast also can make the tournament if it loses to Austin Peay as long as Murray State loses. That would force a three-way tie for eighth place between Southeast, Murray and Eastern Kentucky, with the Redhawks holding the tie-breaker in that scenario.