Evansville, Ind. – Southeast Missouri women's basketball fell to the UT Martin Skyhawks 63-60 on Wednesday in round one of the OVC tournament.
 
The game began as an offensive battle, with both squads shooting above 50 percent from the field the in first half of the opening quarter.
 
UTM and SEMO traded buckets back and forth repeatedly until Southeast went on a 10-3 run around the three-minute mark to take a five point advantage, including seven straight made field goals.
 
Southeast held UT Martin to zero field goals the final three minutes of the period to take a 22-17 lead into the second period.
 
The Skyhawks opened up the second hitting a three to cut the lead to two. However, Southeast then answered with a 7-0 run, including holding UTM scoreless for over three minutes.
 
Despite a few signs of a run by UTM, Southeast maintained a lead of around six points throughout the remainder of the quarter.
 
At half, the Redhawks led 36-30. SEMO shot 48 percent in the first half from the field and 57 percent from three.
 
UT Martin opened the half on a 10-2 run to take the lead at 40-38. The Redhawks then answered with a 4-0 run of their own to reclaim the lead. Both teams traded buckets back and forth from that point on the rest of the quarter.
 
Southeast had a four point lead with under a minute left when UTM hit a triple to cut the lead to one. The Redhawks led 48-47 entering the fourth quarter.
 
Both teams went scoreless the opening two minutes of the fourth quarter, Southeast finally broke the drought at the 7:49 mark with a lay-up from LaTrese Saine to take a three point lead.
 
UT Martin scored its first points of the fourth quarter at 6:38, then followed that with a three from Kendall Spray at the 5:03 mark to take the lead at 52-50.
 
The Skyhawks led by three with under a minute remaining when the Redhawks fouled Emanye Robertson, she hit the pair extending the lead to five.

Southeast got a quick two the next trip down to cut it back to three. The Redhawks then forced a turnover in the backcourt and got the ball to Luttrull who knocked down a three, tying the game at 60-60 with 13 seconds left.
 
UTM was fouled in the backcourt with nine seconds left and they hit the pair, giving them a two point lead.
 
Tesia Thompson was fouled with five seconds left putting her at the line with a chance to tie. Thompson missed the first, and then intentionally missed the second in an attempt to get the offensive rebound, but the Redhawks were unsuccessful.
 
SEMO fouled UT Martin with four seconds left, and they split the pair of free throws, giving Southeast one last chance to tie with a triple.
 
The Redhawks were off at the buzzer, as they eventually fell by three.
 
Ashton Luttrull led the way for the Redhawks with 20 points in her final career game at Southeast.
 
Deja Jones, also in her final game, put in 14 points and 11 rebounds for the Redhawks, her third double-double of the season.
 
This concludes the 2017-18 season for Southeast Missouri women's basketball. They finish at 14-17, falling in the opening round of their third consecutive OVC Tournament appearance.