CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo.– Carrie Shephard recorded a career-high 26 points and six assists to lead Southeast Missouri (1-0) to a 70-56 season-opening win over Missouri-St. Louis in front of a raucous crowd at the Show Me Center Tuesday.

SEMO hosted UMSL in its annual "Classroom on the Court" game which affords area schools the opportunity to take an educational field trip to the Show Me Center. Several different schools were represented at the event which drew an attendance of 1,897.

UMSL led for the majority of the first quarter, but Shephard buried a 3-pointer to give the Redhawks the lead at the four-minute mark and the Tritons never pulled ahead again. SEMO finished the opening period on a 20-1 run to blow by UMSL which did not score in the last four minutes of the quarter.

Tesia Thompson stretched SEMO's lead to 14 on a layup and SEMO led, 44-30, at the intermission.

Shephard knocked down a 3-pointer to give the Redhawks their biggest lead at 59-34 with 1:24 remaining in the third quarter.

SEMO outscored UMSL in the first three quarters of play en route to its first season-opening victory with Rekha Patterson as its head coach.

Shephard shot 9-of-14 from the field, 5-of-7 from 3-point range and 3-of-4 at the free throw line. She matched career-highs in both field goals free throws made. Shephard logged 32 minutes.

Taelour Pruitt followed with 11 points and a career-best five steals, while freshman Sophie Bussard chipped in 10 points and seven boards. Jessie Harshberger pulled down a career-high 14 rebounds, including six on the offensive end, as well.

SEMO man-handled UMSL on the glass, outrebounding the Tritons, 54-31. The Redhawks held a commanding 18-8 advantage on the offensive end of the floor.

Alex LaPorta led all UMSL scorers with 15 points. The Tritons scored 21 of their points at the free throw line.
  
The Redhawks return to action when they host Evansville on the front end of a doubleheader Sunday. Start time is 2 p.m., CT.