Southeast Missouri State University Athletics

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – The Southeast Missouri women's basketball team fell to the University of Cincinnati in Friday's season opener at the Show Me Center, 83-75.
 
Olivia Hackmann led the Redhawks with a career night, tallying a career-high 29 points and pulling down 12 rebounds. It was the first career double-double for the redshirt-senior. She hit 12 field goals, also a career high, in 19 attempts. She drained three 3-pointers and was 2-for-3 from the free-throw line.
 
Ashton Luttrull finished the game with nine points on three 3-pointers while Bri Mitchell and Hilma Mededovic tallied eight points in the season opener.
 
As a team, the Redhawks outshot the Bearcats 47 percent (33-of-70) to 37 percent (30-of-81). On the glass, Southeast was outrebounded 50-43. Cincinnati pulled in 31 offensive rebounds.
 
The Redhawks trailed much of the first quarter but they came on strong in the final minutes. Hannah Noe completed a fastbreak layup with just under two minutes to play to cut the lead to one, 17-16. A 3-pointer from Luttrull with 1:20 to play gave SEMO its first lead. Hackmann hit a jumper with 29 seconds to play, giving the Redhawks a 21-17 advantage at the quarter break.
 
Hackmann led the way for the Redhawks with eight points and four rebounds in the opening stanza.
 
Hackmann came out strong in the second quarter with back-to-back 3-pointers to put SEMO up by eight, 27-19, and tipping her double-digit mark. The Redhawks led by as much as 10 in the frame.
 
Southeast ended the first half on a 2:34 scoring drought as Cincinnati was able to close in and cut the Redhawk lead to one as the clock expired on the first half, 40-39.
 
The Redhawks were led by Hackmann in the first half with 16 points. Newcomer Mandy Madden and Hackmann each pulled in five rebounds to co-lead the team.
 
Southeast's lead quickly fizzled away early in the third quarter. UC finished the quarter on a 7-2 run to hold a six-point lead on the Redhawks, 61-55. SEMO was outscored in the third, 22-15, and trailed 61-55.
 
The Redhawks reached 20 points in the fourth quarter but were able to catch the Bearcats. A seven-point run in the middle of the quarter by UC opened an 11-point lead, their largest of the game, 72-61.
 
Hackmann added an additional nine points in the stanza to reach her career high of 29 points. It is her fourth career 20-point game.
 
UC's Shanice Johnson recorded a double-double with 32 points and 13 rebounds. Ana Owens finished with 25 points while Chelsea Warren had 12 rebounds.
 
The Bearcat's turned their 31 offensive rebounds in 27 second-chance points. Southeast's bench was responsible for 26 total points.

The Redhawks led for a total of 14 minutes in the game. 
 
Southeast Missouri returns to action on Monday evening at 6:30 p.m. against Hannibal-LaGrange at the Show Me Center.