CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – The Southeast Missouri women's basketball team played well but ultimately fell to Western Illinois on Wednesday, 100-87.
 
The Redhawks hosted this year's Classroom on the Court at the Show Me Center. Wednesday's official attendance, comprised mostly of local school kids, was 2,553.
 
Southeast's 87 points came from a 47.8 (33-of-69) shooting percentage from the field and a 40 percent (8-of-20) clip from 3-point range.
 
Bri Mitchell set a new career-high with 27 points in the game. Her 10 field goals were also a career best. Mitchell was 5-of-6 from the line while also pulling down five rebounds and dishing out seven assists.
 
Olivia Hackmann recorded her second double-double in as many games, finishing with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Her 10 boards led the team.
 
Hannah Noe picked up 18 points in the game. She hit five 3-pointers and was a perfect 3-of-3 from the free-throw line.
 
Other notable performances came by way of Deja Jones' eight points and five rebounds along with LaTrese Saine's NCAA debut. The 6-4 freshman scored nine points with two boards in the contest.
 
Four 3-pointers by Western Illinois put the Leathernecks out in front early, 12-3. Western was able to keep the Redhawks at bay in the opening stanza. Southeast finished the quarter with five-straight points capped by a 3-point bucket by Noe to cut the Leatherneck lead to four, 22-18.
 
Mitchell already topped a season-high with 11 points in the opening frame to lead the team while Hackmann had a team-high four rebounds.
 
The Leathernecks hit seven of their 12 first-half 3-pointers in the second quarter, outscoring SEMO 33-25. Ashton Luttrull hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to cut the WIU lead to 55-43 going into halftime. WIU shot 72.7% from the field in the quarter while hitting 77.8% of their shots form beyond the arc.
 
Noe surged in the second quarter, hitting three 3-pointers and tallying 12 first-half points. Mitchell still led in scoring for Southeast with 14 points. Hackmann pulled in a team-high five rebounds.
 
Though the Redhawks were down at half, they still shot 48.6% (18-of-37) from the field and hit half (6-of-12) of their shots from 3-point range in the first half.  
 
Despite garnering 36 points off 3-pointers in the half, WIU was able to score 16 total points in the paint and converted 10 Redhawk turnovers into 14 points.
 
Both teams scored 24 total points in the third quarter. SEMO was able to cut the Western lead to nine toward the end of the half on a jumper by Mitchell, 76-67, but a 3-point bucket at the buzzer widened the lead back to 12 for the Leathernecks at the quarter break, 79-67.
 
Mitchell scored seven points in the frame while Noe had six. Noe was fouled on while attempting a 3-point shot and drained all three-free throws with 1:23 left in the quarter.
 
Western Illinois was once again able to keep Southeast at arm's length, never relinquishing mush of their lead and narrowly winning the final 10 minutes, 21-20. It's the second game this season for WIU that it topped the century mark.
 
Hackmann came out scoring the in final quarter as she tallied eight in the frame to top the double-digit mark. Mitchell's final six points secured the 27-point career day for the senior.
 
The Leathernecks had four players in double-figure points, led by a 30-point day by Morgan Blumer. Emily Clemens also had a great day, finishing with 20 points. Mallory Boyle led the way on the glass for WIU with 13 rebounds.
 
As a team, Western shot 52.9% (36-of-68) from the field and hit 16 total 3-pointers, shooting 44.4% from beyond the arc. Blumer was responsible for five 3-point makes.
 
Southeast Missouri will embark on a four-game road stretch beginning Friday morning at Xavier in Cincinnati, Ohio. Southeast will finish its busy week on Sunday at noon at Evansville.