CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Tesia Thompson (18), Taelour Pruitt (13) and LaTrese Saine (10) combined to score 41 points but it wasn't enough as Southeast Missouri women's basketball (2-4, 0-1 OVC) fell to 2020-21 Ohio Valley Conference preseason favorite UT Martin (2-1, 1-0 OVC), 61-58, Friday evening in its league opener at the Show Me Center.
 
2020-21 OVC Preseason Player of the Year Chelsey Perry registered a game-high 28 points to lead the visiting Skyhawks in the first of two regular season matchups between the conference travel partners. SEMO will make a trip to Martin, Tennessee, to complete the home-and-home series on Feb. 1.
 
UTM jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the game after a bucket by Maddie Waldrop and a pair of free throws from Perry.
 
A jumper by Kennedi Allen knotted the contest early at 6-6 with 4:22 left in the opening quarter. 
 
The Skyhawks would then widen the gap to 12 (28-16) courtesy of a 17-8 second period. UTM shot 42 percent in the half including 7-for-13 (53.8 percent) in the second quarter.
 
Zaire Hicks connected on a basket to increase the UTM advantage to 20-10 at the 5:23 mark. 
 
Pruitt laid in a basket off the glass with 32 seconds remaining in the half to cut the margin to 10, 26-16.
 
A pair of free throws by Perry provided the Skyhawks with their largest lead of the night, 28-16.
 
SEMO shot at a 19 percent clip during the opening half before surging back with a 25-point (25-15) third quarter on a 56.3 field goal percentage.
 
Pruitt hit a 3-pointer to bring the UTM advantage to 28-19. The Redhawks then went on an 8-0 run with buckets by Saine and Thompson to come within two points, 31-29, with 7:35 left in the third.
 
Thompson paced the Redhawks in the second half with 14 points on a 6-12 field goal percentage.
 
Consecutive Skyhawks baskets by Demi Burdick and Dasia Young pushed the advantage back in the visiting team's favor, 43-33.
 
SEMO continued to respond and mounted another comeback, coming within a point heading into the fourth. Pruitt punctuated an 8-0 Redhawks run with a basket with one second left on the scoreboard in the third.
 
In the fourth, the Skyhawks regrew their advantage to seven two times. Hayley Harrison blasted a 3-pointer to make the lead, 52-45 with 6:43 left in regulation. Waldrop then added a pair of free throws to widen the gap to 59-52 with nine seconds remaining.
 
Down the stretch, Roshala Scott knocked down a pair of 3-point baskets to bring the Redhawks as close as 61-58. Scott finished the night with eight points, five rebounds and two steals.
 
The Skyhawks outshot SEMO, 40.7 percent (22-54) to 32.8 percent (21-64) in the contest.
 
The Redhawks outrebounded UTM, 40-37
 
Thompson led SEMO on the boards with eight followed by Saine's seven. Pruitt tallied a game-high five assists to complement four rebounds in 33 minutes of action.
 
Allen chipped in a game-high three blocks.
 
The Redhawks will continue their OVC slate when they head to Cookeville, Tennessee, to take on Tennessee Tech Wednesday, Dec. 30. First tip is scheduled for 5 p.m.