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CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Even though Southeast Missouri head women's basketball coach Ty Margenthaler doesn't believe in moral victories, Wednesday night's tilt against defending Ohio Valley Conference Champion Tennessee Martin showed how much his team has improved in just a year.

After losing to the Skyhawks twice by a combined 74 points last season, the Redhawks held a late lead on the defending OVC champs. A late UTM run, however, sent Southeast to a 82-71.

“I thought this was a great women's basketball game tonight,” Margenthaler said. “Both teams played with great energy and focus. I'm not a moral victory guy, but this program has taken another step. We did a lot of positive things and put ourselves in position to win, but a few little things ended up costing us.”

Southeast (8-10, 2-3 OVC) tallied the first four points as Brittany Harriel and Kara Wright scored from in close to make it 4-0 in the first two minutes of play. UT Martin (8-11, 3-2 OVC) quickly evened the score after both Heather Butler and Jasmine Newsome drove the lane and scored from the paint.

The Redhawks caught fire from there, scoring nine-straight points on a Patricia Mack jumper, a Harriel layup, a Jordan Hunter jumper from the paint and a Wright three-pointer to make it 13-4 just over five minutes into play.

UT Martin switched to a 1-3-1 zone after the first media timeout and held Southeast scoreless for the next four minutes and pulled within 13-8 with 11:10 showing in the first half.

The Redhawks extended the lead to 16-8 after a Harriel free throw and a Mack layup. However, the OVC's top-scoring team started to get on track and tied it up with a 12-4 run. 11 of those points came from Butler and Newsome, the top two scorers in the conference.

With the score still tied and 4:31 remaining in the half, Olivia Hackmann got open and drilled a long jumper from the corner on an inbounds play to put Southeast back in front. After a stop, Hackmann drove to the hoop for a layup that made it 24-20 with 3:43 to go in the opening stanza.

The Skyhawks' tandem got going from there with Butler making two free throws and Newsome hitting a transition layup after a steal and making a three-pointer to give them their first lead, 27-24, with 2:01 left. The Redhawks followed suit by scoring on their next possession when Hackmann got an offensive rebound and scored on the put back. Wright closed the first half scoring by hitting a jumper in the lane that put Southeast ahead of the defending conference champs 28-27 at halftime.

“For the first 20 minutes we executed the game plan tremendously,” Margenthaler said. “We held them to 29 percent shooting, but we knew they would heat up. It's hard to defend that kind of pressure for 40 minutes.”

Bailie Roberts scored on the Redhawks first three possessions of the second half, hitting two threes and a jumper to keep Southeast in front. However, UT Martin scored on its first six possessions of the half to go up 40-36 with 16:47 left.

Allyson Bradshaw hit a three-pointer to make it a one-point game, but Shelby Crawford scored on the break to extend the Skyhawks' lead. Harriel scored from the block to pull the Redhawks closer again. After a Rikiesha Bryant bucket, Harriel stepped out and tied the game at 44 apiece with a three-pointer at the 15:07 mark.

Scoring slowed down over the next few minutes with neither team making a field goal over a stretch of 3:29. The Skyhawks broke the tie with a pair of Newsome free throws, but Dru Haertling evened it up at 46 apiece with a pull up jumper.

Butler canned a three-pointer on the next UT Martin possession make it 49-46. A Harriel free throw pulled the Redhawks within two, but Butler got another three-point play on a layup and free throw that made it 52-47.

UTM maintained its five-point edge over the next two minutes, then Bradshaw connected on a three to make it 57-55. Newsome's three-pointer upped the Skyhawk lead back to five. Undeterred, Haertling impressively got to the hoop and scored left handed through contact. She hit the ensuing free throw to cut the gap to 60-58. Two possessions later, Hackmann drained a three and Southeast grabbed a 61-60 lead with 6:08 left.

The Skyhawks followed with five-straight points on a Newsome layup and Butler three to make it 65-61, but the Redhawks would not go quietly. Southeast went on a 7-1 run to grab a 68-66 lead with 3:17 remaining. Bradshaw made a layup and two free throws and Hackmann's layup gave Southeast a 67-66 lead before Wright made a free throw to up the lead to two points.

UTM regained the lead with six-straight points and held a 72-68 lead with under two minutes to play. Bradshaw pulled Southeast within one by nailing a three in the corner with 1:33 left. Hunter jumped the following entry pass and had a look at the rim immediately after. Unfortunately, her layup rolled strong off the rim and Hunter was caught in a bad spot for her fifth foul. The Skyhawks followed that with a 10-0 run to close the game.

UT Martin shot 54.8 percent in the second half and finished at 41.9 percent overall. Southeast made 39.7 percent of its field goals. Both teams made eight three-pointers with the Redhawks hitting 33.3 percent and the Skyhawks connecting 36.4 percent. UTM attempted 27 free throws and made 22 while Southeast went 9-of-13 (69.2 percent) at the line. Both teams grabbed 40 rebounds, but Southeast committed 18 turnovers against UTM's 13.

Five Redhawks scored in double figures with Harriel, Bradshaw and Hackmann each scoring 13. Wright and Roberts tallied 10 each and Mack led Southeast with nine rebounds. Wright dished out a career-high seven assists to lead the Redhawks.

Newsome led all players with 36 points (24 in the second half) while Butler scored 23. Bryant also posted a 14-point, 14-rebound double-double.

The Redhawks return to the court on Jan. 21 when they host Morehead State.