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CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Playing its third game in five days, the Southeast Missouri women's basketball team stifled Saint Louis in a 59-52 win at the Show Me Center on Wednesday night.

The victory is the Redhawks' (8-8) third straight, their first three-game winning streak since Jan. 29-Feb. 4, 2009. Southeast has its best 16-game record since the 2007-08 season when it won its last regular season Ohio Valley Conference title.

“What a tough stretch this team played under to win three games in five days,” Southeast head coach Ty Margenthaler said. “This wasn't the prettiest game in the world, but they gutted it out. What has helped us is our bench. We played our kids early in the non-conference and that really helps to have that extra support if your top players are off their games. We're on our way to doing some good things.”

Kara Wright opened the game with a three-pointer, but SLU (6-9) countered with a 9-2 run to grab a 9-5 lead three and a half minutes into the contest.

A pair of Courtney Shiffer free throws pulled Southeast within two points, but the Billikens extended the lead to 13-11. The Redhawks eventually moved back in front on the strength of a Dru Heartling three-pointer that made it 14-13 at the 10:55 mark.

The Billikens regained the lead on two Denisha Womack free throws, but Jordan Hunter started an 8-0 run with a three-pointer. Wright made a mid-range jumper and Olivia Hackmann drilled her first career three-pointer to put the Redhawks up 22-15 with 8:21 to play in the opening stanza.

After a SLU basket, Hunter made another three to up the lead to eight points at 25-17.  A Mallory Eggert free throw pulled the Billikens a point closer, but Hunter made two free throws and Brittany Harriel split a pair to make it a 28-18 Redhawks advantage, capping a 17-5 run that elapsed 9:10. SLU finished the half with four-straight points in the final 3:07 to cut Southeast's lead to 28-22 at halftime.

Roberts made two free throws and Harriel drilled a baseline jumper to give Southeast the first four points of the half and making it a 32-22 game. Patricia Mack followed with a wide open layup that gave the Redhawks their largest lead of the game to that point at 34-22.

The Billikens did not go quietly as they pulled within five points at 41-36 with eight minutes left. Undeterred, Mack made an open baseline jumper to extend the lead to back to seven points. After a media timeout, Roberts calmly made two free throws and then followed up with a jumper on the next possession to make it 47-36. Hunter finished the run with a driving layup with 5:26 left to make it 49-36, Southeast's largest lead of the contest.

SLU's Jacy Bradley caught fire down the stretch and scored eight-straight Billiken points to cut the gap to seven points with 27 seconds left, but SLU would get no closer than six the rest of the way.

Southeast held SLU to only 32.8 percent shooting while making 36 percent of its shots. The Redahwks made 5-of-12 (41.7 percent) three-pointers while the Billikens countered with a 6-of-16 (37.5 percent) mark from long range. Southeast made 18-of-25 (72 percent) free throws against SLU's 8-of-13 (61.5 percent) mark at the stripe. The Billikens edged out the Redhawks 40-39 in rebounding but the Redhawks committed only 10 turnovers and forced 12 out of Saint Louis.

“Our defense won the game for us,” Margenthaler said. “Our double teams were outstanding and we were aggressive throughout. Patricia and Courtney were very solid for us inside. We didn't shoot well, but we had good ball movement and player movement tonight.”

Hunter finished with 14 points to lead Southeast while Roberts tallied 10 for her fifth-straight game in double figures. Mack pulled down 15 rebounds while finishing with eight points, three assists, two steals and a block. Hackmann finished with nine points in 16 minutes off the bench.

SLU's Bradley led all players with 24 points.

The Redhawks are off until Jan. 14 when they travel to Tennessee State.