Feb. 9, 2008

Box Score

RICHMOND, Ky. - Junior guard Sonya Daugherty (St. Louis, Mo./Hancock) scored a game-high 18 points as Southeast Missouri State captured a 72-67 win at Eastern Kentucky in Ohio Valley Conference women's basketball action Saturday afternoon at EKU's McBrayer Arena. The Redhawks saw their record improve to 17-6 (12-2) while the Colonels dropped to 11-9 (6-7).

Southeast scored the first six points of the game in three minutes with junior guard Tarina Nixon (Gilbert, Ariz./Highland) posting four points during the run. EKU senior Niki Avery tallied eight points as part of a 10-3 scoring drive over a two-plus minute stretch to help the home team claim its first lead of the contest at 10-9 at the 1:26 mark and a three-point play by senior Crystal Jones at the hiked the Colonels' leading margin at 13-9. After both teams later battled though several lead changes in four minutes, junior forward Crysta Glenn (San Diego, Calif./Cowley County CC) posted 10 points as the Redhawks outscored EKU by a 20-13 margin over the final 10 minutes to enter halftime with a 39-32 advantage.

A Glenn three-pointer and a layup by junior forward Rachel Blunt (Dexter, Mo./Dexter) gave Southeast its biggest lead of the contest at 44-32 with 17:16 remaining in the game. Junior LaTanya Stokes posted four points and Avery connected on a three to help slice EKU's deficit to 44-41 at the 15:20 mark. The Redhawks then notched an 11-6 run over a four-minute span to increase their lead to 55-47 that ended with a three-pointer by freshman guard Lauren Sharpe (Tipp City, Ohio/Tippecanoe) at 11:26. A layup from senior Ashley Cazee at 10:54 later opened a 17-8 run though a stretch of 3:37 to cut Southeast's lead to 63-61 which ended on a three-pointer by Avery. Cazee drained a three to hand the Colonels a 64-63 lead at the 5:33 mark, but a Nixon layup and a Daugherty jumper helped the Redhawks regain the lead for good at 67-64 with 3:25 remaining. The visitors closed the game by scoring five of the game's last eight points in the final minute after connecting of five of its final six free throws.

Glenn finished with her second consecutive double-double as she tallied 17 points and a game-high 14 rebounds, while Nixon contributed 14 points with a pair of game highs in six assists and three steals. Blunt added 10 points, Sharpe recorded eight points and senior guard Ashley Lovelady (Elkhart, Ind./Moberly Area CC) posted five assists.

Avery led four Eastern Kentucky players in double figures as she notched 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field and Cazee finished with 15 points. Stokes produced 12 points and a team-best six boards off the bench, while Jones tallied 10 points and five assists for the Colonels.

Southeast is back in action on Thursday, Feb. 14 as it welcomes Eastern Illinois to the Show Me Center in a key OVC battle with a start time of 5 p.m.