In an impressive display, the Southeast Missouri Redhawks claimed a 62-52 victory over UT Martin at the Elam Center on Tuesday night. This win marks SEMO’s first victory against the Skyhawks in Martin since January 14, 2017. With this victory, the Redhawks improved their record to 9-17 overall and 5-12 in conference play, while UT Martin fell to 13-13 and 9-8.
Lexi McCully was the standout performer for SEMO, coming off the bench to score 18 points, while freshman Zoey Rixter made a significant impact with 14 rebounds. The Redhawks controlled the game for the majority of the match, trailing for just over nine minutes. McCully set the tone early, scoring eight of the team’s first 15 points, showcasing her ability to make quick contributions.
After falling behind 15-9 in the first quarter, McCully hit back-to-back three-pointers, helping the Redhawks tie the game at 15-15. UT Martin briefly regained the lead with a late first-quarter three, ending the period ahead 18-15. However, SEMO decisively opened the second quarter with a dominant 17-1 run, extending their lead to 32-19 following a free throw by Carmen Taylor.
Though the Skyhawks mounted a brief comeback to close the gap to 34-28 at halftime, SEMO’s defense shined, restricting UTM to just 28.6 percent shooting in the second quarter and forcing them into a nearly four-minute scoring drought.
The Redhawks continued their momentum into the second half, with Ainaya Williams hitting two free throws to achieve SEMO’s largest lead of the night at 50-35 at the end of the third quarter. SEMO maintained a comfortable lead throughout the fourth, not allowing UTM to come closer than eight points.
The Redhawks effectively outperformed the Skyhawks, limiting their scoring to 52 points—a season-low for UT Martin. Notably, McCully and Williams combined to outscore the Skyhawks’ bench significantly, 30-2. In addition to McCully’s points, Williams contributed 12 points and rebounded six times, while Taylor added 11 points and Raissa Nsabua secured eight rebounds for the team.
Overall, SEMO showcased their capabilities on both ends of the court, particularly dominating the boards with a significant 49-28 rebounding advantage, highlighting a promising performance that could propel them further in the season.