CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Southeast Missouri women's basketball (6-8, 0-1 OVC) dropped a 74-63 decision to Tennessee Tech (4-10, 1-0 OVC) in the Ohio Valley Conference opener Thursday at the Show Me Center.
 
Southeast had a hard time defending a Tennessee Tech offense that shot 53 percent in the game and 47 percent from 3-point range.
 
The Redhawks were led by a 19-point performance from Olivia Hackmann. Hackmann registered her highest point total in seven games. She pulled in six rebounds, hit three 3-pointers, and was 4-for-4 from the charity stripe.
 
Coming off a near-triple-double, Bri Mitchell picked up 13 points with eight rebounds on Thursday. She handed out two assists and was also perfect from the free-throw line at 3-for-3.
 
Hannah Noe's five-game double-digit point streak came to an end after falling just short with nine total points on three treys. She dished out a team-high and season-best four assists.
 
Noe kickstarted the Redhawk offense with an immediate 3-point bucket to begin the game but the offense quickly went cold, trailing by as much as five early. Down seven as the clock ticked under a minute, SEMO pulled in three-straight offensive rebounds before Hackmann scored on a jumper as the clock expired on the first quarter to pull within five, 23-18.
 
Hackmann scored nine first-quarter points, exactly half of SEMO's total in the frame.
 
It was a relatively low-scoring second quarter but the Redhawks came out on top in the frame, 17-9. Hackmann scored five-straight points early on to tie the game at 25. After a 3-pointer by Yaktavia Hickson, SEMO rattled off eight unanswered points to take a 33-28 lead on the Golden Eagles with 4:43 to play. The latter half of the frame saw little scoring with TTU making two baskets while SEMO had one from Mitchell.
 
Southeast Missouri led Tennessee Tech 35-32 at halftime.
 
Hackmann finished the first half with 17 total points. She had already topped her point total from the last four games. Adrianna Murphy and Hackmann co-led the team with four rebounds each in the opening half.
 
The Golden Eagles came out strong in the third quarter, going on a 15-2 run to begin the frame and taking a 10-point lead on Southeast, 47-37. The Redhawks immediately cut the lead to three but TTU came out on top in the end of the quarter, 54-48.
 
TTU shot 64 percent from the field in the third quarter and outscored Southeast 22-13. Hickson went on a tear, putting up 14 points in the quarter.
 
The final quarter went much the same way as the fourth with the Golden Eagles opening a 14-point lead early. Southeast never pulled within 10 points the remainder of the game and ultimately falling 74-63.
 
Hickson finished her performance with 30 points and 12 rebounds. Teryvonna Brooks put up 16 points and seven rebounds while Akia Harris had 12 points and eight assists.
 
Southeast Missouri will bring its homestand to a close Saturday against Eastern Kentucky. The Redhawks and Colonels tipoff at 12 p.m., noon, from the Show Me Center.