CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Southeast Missouri women's basketball (11-14, 5-7) posted four players in double-figure points Wednesday en route to a 78-74 victory over SIUE (10-15, 6-6) at the Show Me Center.
 
It was the first victory by the Redhawks over the Cougars since Feb. 13, 2014 (in Edwardsville), snapping a six-game losing streak to SIUE. Southeast dropped a heartbreaker on the road earlier in the season on a buzzer 3-pointer.
 
Bri Mitchell once again led the Redhawks with 18 points, 12 of which came in the second half of the contest. Mitchell dished out four assists and hit six of seven free-throws. Mitchell's double-digit streak stays alive at a season-long six games.
 
Mandy Madden and Kaley Leyhue each put up 14 points on Wednesday, each falling one point short of tying career highs in the category. Madden narrowly missed a double-double, finishing with nine rebounds, but blocked a season-high four shots. Her seven made field goals were a season high. All 14 of Leyhue's points came in the first half thanks in part to hitting a career-high four 3-pointers.
 
Deja Jones was the fourth Redhawk to reach double-figure points, finishing with 15 points. Her 15-point performance comes on the heels of a 20-point game on Saturday. It's the first time this season Jones has recorded back-to-back double-digit point games.
 
As a team, Southeast shot its best game (45.8%) since the UT Martin game on Jan. 14. Southeast went to the line a season-high 27 times and hit 19 of those free-throws, also a season best.
 
On the glass, the Redhawks were outrebounded 42-34 while also giving up 22 offensive rebounds to the Cougars, resulting in 24 second-chance points.
 
After a slow offensive start, the Redhawks kicked it in gear nearly two minutes in. The Redhawks rattled off an 11-2 run contributed to heavily but three made 3-pointers from Leyhue to go up 13-5 on the Cougars. SIUE cut it to three but a 3-pointer by Lakyn Gulley and an offensive putback by Madden put the Redhawks back up by eight. At the end of the first quarter, SEMO led SIUE 20-12.
 
Leyhue had nine first-quarter points and had already tied her career high with three made 3-pointers. Southeast shot 50 percent (8-of-16) in the opening stanza while hitting four of seven 3-point attempts.
 
After a hot first quarter, the Redhawk offense, or defense rather, fell short in the second as SIUE outscored Southeast 23-14 in the second. An early 11-2 run sliced the SEMO lead down to two, 25-23. The Redhawks and Cougars went toe-to-toe the remainder of the quarter with SIUE coming out on top going into halftime, 35-34.
 
The Redhawks' scoring leader was Leyhue at halftime with 14 points, one shy of tying a career high. Wednesday's game was Leyhue's third double-digit point game of her career. Madden was Southeast's leading rebounder with six.
 
Southeast's shooting percentage dipped to 40 percent going into halftime while SIUE had pulled ahead with a 41.2% clip. The Redhawks were being outrebounded 23-18 while SIUE collected 10 offensive rebounds resulting in 10 second chance points. 18 of the Cougars' points came in the paint in the opening half. SIUE finished with 38 points in the paint for the game. 
 
The Redhawks played the Cougars much closer coming out of halftime, taking the quarter by a slim margin, 20-18. Down nine with 5:18 to play, 10 unanswered points by the Redhawks put them back on top, 48-47. The quarter ended even on both sides 6-6 to send the game to the fourth with SEMO on top by one, 54-53.
 
Jones contributed a team-best seven third-quarter points. Mitchell and Madden each had five to tip the double-digit mark with 11 and 10, respectively.
 
The Redhawks held their own in the final 10 minutes, winning the frame, 24-21. Southeast never trailed in the quarter, although SIUE pulled within two five times. Neither team could string together a run in the highest-scoring quarter of the game as each team was nearly basket-for-basket in the frame.
 
Mitchell had seven points while Jones had six in the quarter to help the Redhawks secure the win.  
 
SIUE's Donshel Beck posted 19 points while Nakia Bell has 16. Sydney Bauman had 10 points and 10 rebounds for the double-double while Micah Jones had 11 boards.
 
Southeast Missouri will be back on the road at Eastern Illinois on Saturday. The Redhawks and Panthers will tip at 3:30 p.m. in Charleston, Illinois.