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CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Southeast Missouri (7-10, 0-4) dropped a close Ohio Valley Conference battle 57-54 to Eastern Kentucky (6-7, 1-2) Saturday afternoon at the Show Me Center. 

Erin Bollmann gave the Redhawks a 54-53 lead with 39.1 seconds remaining but the lead would not hold up as Michaela Hunter answered with a layup on the other end to retake the lead for EKU at 55-54 with 28.3 seconds left.
 
Bollmann notched her fourth double-double of the season with 12 points and 10 rebounds while Jasmine Robinson added 13 points. Connor King grabbed 10 rebounds for her fifth consecutive double-digit rebounding performance and 10^th of the season.
 
After Yelena Rosado scored the game's first points, EKU went on a 9-0 run.
 
Eastern Kentucky pulled ahead 25-15 with 3:37 before halftime, led by two 3-pointers by Alexus Cooper.
 
Bollmann grabbed a rebound on a missed free throw and turned it into a 3-point swing with a layup to cut the deficit to 25-19. Following an EKU basket, Ashton Luttrull drained a triple to trim the lead to 27-22. That lead would hold until halftime.
 
Early on in the second half, both teams traded baskets. Olivia Hackmann connected from beyond the arc to cut the lead to 35-31 with 14:39 remaining. The Colonels answered with a 4-0 run.
 
Brianna Mitchell drained a triple to again pull within five at 39-34 with 12:36 left. Robinson scored on a contested driving jumper at the 11:51 mark to make the score 39-36.
 
The Colonels then scored six of the next eight points to extend the lead to 45-38 with 7:46 remaining.
 
Bollmann led the Redhawks as they pulled within one at 49-48 on her short jumper with 4:29 left. She added two free throws to cut the deficit to 52-50 with 2:30 remaining.
 
Robinson tied the score at 52-52 with a layup off a feed from Allyson Bradshaw with 1:55 on the clock.
 
Prior to Bollmann's go-ahead jumper, Bradshaw made a crucial defensive stop and rebound in the paint.
 
After EKU retook the lead, Robinson went to the free throw line with 10.8 seconds remaining down one and missed a pair.
 
Following an EKU layup with four seconds left to increase the lead to three, Robinson had a chance to put up a final shot at the buzzer but was unable to get the shot off in time.
 
Cooper had a career-high 12 points and three triples for EKU. Mariah Massengill added 11 points while Jasmine Henshaw had 10.
 
Southeast shot 38.3% (18-for-47) from the floor and 26.7% (4-for-15) from beyond the arc. EKU shot 38.5% (20-for-52) from the field and 36.4% (4-for-11) from long range.
 
Hackmann tied a career-high with eight rebounds and had seven points, two assists and two steals for the Redhawks.
 
Southeast will travel to Jacksonville State for a mid-week OVC contest on Wednesday. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. from the Pete Mathews Coliseum.