EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – A 30-point fourth quarter by Southeast Missouri (8-11, 2-4) helped erase a 17-point deficit to SIUE (6-13, 2-4) Wednesday but a 3-pointer at the buzzer lifted the Cougars to a one-point victory, 70-69.
 
Southeast, who trailed 53-39 at the beginning of the fourth quarter, outscored SIUE 30-17 in the final 10 minutes to not only tie the game, but lead twice in the final two minutes. A 3-pointer by Lauren White with nine-tenths of a second on the clock lifted the Cougars to the 70-69 win.
 
The Redhawks were led by career-high 15-point performances from Adrianna Murphy, Mandy Madden, and Lakyn Gulley. Murphy's 15 points were accompanied by eight assists, three steals, and a team-high six rebounds in a season-high 35 minutes. Madden contributed five boards with two assists, blocks, and steals. Gulley drained five shots from 3-point range, three of which came in the final quarter.
 
Southeast shot 77 percent in the fourth quarter to raise its final shooting percentage to 44 percent in the game. Southeast only went to the free-throw line five times but were perfect in those five chances.
 
Southeast was dominated on the boards by the Cougars, 44-25, tying the largest rebounding deficit this season. SIUE converted 18 offensive rebounds into 21 second-chance points. However, SEMO converted 19 Cougar turnovers into 23 points, 11 of those points coming in the final quarter.
 
The Redhawk bench contributed 23 points Wednesday, the most in conference play this season.
 
The Redhawks led for much of the first quarter, leading for well over six minutes. Southeast worked a 9-6 lead in the first four and a half minutes, scoring six of the nine points in the paint. With SEMO up by one, both offenses went dormant for nearly two and a half minutes but SIUE scored to end the drought and take a lead on the Redhawks. Southeast finished the quarter outscoring SIUE 5-2 to lead by a couple at the end of the opening stanza, 14-12.
 
The Cougars opened the second quarter outscoring the Redhawks 10-2 and opening a 24-16 lead. A trey by Gulley cut the Cougar lead to five with 1:53 to play, 30-25. The first half ended with Southeast Missouri trailing 33-25.
 
Madden led the way for SEMO offensively with a game-high nine first-half points while Gulley had six on a pair of 3-pointers. Murphy led the team with four first-half rebounds.
 
SIUE came out on top in the third quarter 20-14 to keep its firm lead on Southeast. The Cougars slowly built their lead in the third frame. On an 8-2 run, SIUE found its largest lead of the game at 17 points with 3:24 to play in the third. The final 10 minutes began with SEMO down 53-39.
 
Three-straight jumpers to open the fourth cut the Cougar lead to single digits, 53-45. SEMO used an 11-2 run in the first three minutes and 40 seconds to make it a five-point game at 55-50.
 
Southeast kept working to eventually make it a one-point game. A made layup by Bri Mitchell, only her second basket of the game, came at the two-minute mark and gave the Redhawks their first lead since the end of first quarter, 65-64.
 
Back down by two with 1:01 to play, Mitchell tied it at 67 with her second bucket in a row. With 30.6 seconds on the clock and the Redhawks holding possession, point guard Murphy converted a play and drained a jumper, putting the Redhawks back up by two with nine-tenths of a second to play.
 
SIUE called timeout and opted to advance the ball. Nakia Bell inbounded to White who turned to her right from the top of the key and drained the game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer, 70-69.
 
White's game winner propelled her into the game lead with 17 points. She also finished with eight rebounds for the Cougars. Aside from White, SIUE had three other players in double-figure scoring including Amri Wilder with 16 points.
 
Southeast Missouri finishes its four-game road swing 2-2. The Redhawks returns to the Show Me Center to host Eastern Illinois Saturday at 2 p.m. Saturday's game will be Southeast's first home game in 2017.