Jacksonville, Ala. – Southeast Missouri women's basketball fell to the Jacksonville State Gamecocks 55-48 on Saturday at the Pete Mathews Coliseum.
 
The game started as a defensive battle, with both teams only hitting a single field goal in the opening five minutes of the game. After Southeast hit their first basket they missed 11 consecutive field goals and scored just two points over a span of eight minutes.
 
While Southeast got off to a slow start on the offensive end, they managed to limit Jacksonville State to just two field goals in the opening period and 25 percent shooting.
 
The Gamecocks led the Redhawks 10-7 after the first quarter.
 
Southeast made as many field goals in the first two minutes of the second period as they did the entire first quarter. However, after those opening baskets by the Redhawks, the Gamecocks rallied off a 10-0 run, stretching the lead to 11.
 
The Redhawks answered the Gamecocks run with a 7-0 run of their own to cut the lead back to two.
 
The Gamecocks knocked down a couple big shots to close out the quarter to extend their lead back to six. Jacksonville led Southeast 28-22 at halftime.
 
In the third quarter the game went back to a defensive battle for both squads. Southeast hit just four field goals in the quarter while they limited the Gamecocks to just three.
 
Southeast cut the Jacksonville lead to 37-34 heading into the fourth quarter.
 
The Redhawks opened the fourth quarter on a 5-0 run to take the lead 39-37. Southeast then went over four minutes without scoring allowing Jacksonville to reclaim the lead. Southeast broke the scoring drought at 2:47 cutting the Gamecock lead to 45-43.
 
Jacksonville State knocked down a big three-pointer at the 1:22 mark to extend the lead to four. The Gamecocks then hit a couple free throws shortly after to extend their lead to six with a minute to play.
 
Another pair of free throws from Jacksonville extended the lead to 53-45 with 45 seconds to play.
 
Ashton Luttrull knocked down the three-pointer with 31 seconds remaining cutting the lead to five. Southeast was forced to foul the following possession and the Gamecocks knocked down both free throws. Southeast wasn't able to convert the following possession and elected not to foul, eventually falling by seven.
 
For the game Southeast shot 27 percent while Jacksonville State shot 35 percent.
 
Tesia Thompson led the way for the Redhawks with 12 points.
 
Southeast will return to Cape Girardeau after four straight games on the road. They take on Murray State on Thursday and Austin Peay on Saturday.