CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Three Redhawks finished in double-figures scoring as Southeast Missouri women's basketball (14-9, 12-6 OVC) secured a 61-52 victory over Morehead State (6-15, 5-12 OVC) Saturday on Senior Day at the Show Me Center.
Taelour Pruitt paced SEMO with 17 points and three assists, finishing 6-for-16 from the field and 4-for-4 at the charity stripe.
Terri Smith chipped in 12 points on a 4-for-11 day and 3-for-3 on free throws.
Sophie Bussard added 11 points, shooting 4-for-10.
Pruitt, Smith and Bussard each tallied four steals as SEMO finished with a season-best 17 and converted 26 points off Eagles turnovers.
The Redhawks senior duo of starters
LaTrese Saine (98 career games, 39 starts) and
Tesia Thompson (112 career games, 99 starts) finished with six and three points, respectively, in their final regular-season home games at the Show Me Center. Saine completed the day 3-for-7 with a game-high 12 rebounds.
Saine and Thompson were recognized for their careers at SEMO after the Redhawks victory over Morehead State.
SEMO jumped out to a 14-2 lead in the opening quarter and headed to the second frame with a 20-4 advantage. The Redhawks recorded eight steals and five assists in the first 10 minutes Saturday.
SEMO took its largest advantage of the game after a bucket from Bussard pushed the margin to 22-4 with 9:19 in the second quarter.
Back-to-back 3-pointers from Jazzmyn Elston cut the SEMO edge to 26-15.
Smith added three consecutive free throws before the break to give the Redhawks a 35-20 lead heading to the locker room.
Tyler Moore buried a 3-pointer to make the SEMO margin 44-34 and start a 7-0 Eagles run to conclude the third quarter. Gabby Crawford banked in a layup with 31 second left in the third to bring the Redhawk advantage to 46-38.
Pruitt then made the first basket by either team in the fourth quarter with 7:47 left in regulation to push the SEMO lead back to 10, 48-38.
Deanay Watson added a lay-up to regrow the Redhawk edge to 58-44 with 2:34 left to play.
Elston then hit a 3-pointer with a second left in regulation to make the scoreboard read, 61-59.
SEMO shot 37 percent in the game with a 46 percent second quarter. The Redhawks struggled from distance, finishing 2-for-14. SEMO converted 83 percent of its free throws in the win.
The Eagles finished with a clip of 33 percent shooting.
Crawford led Morehead State with 14 points and 12 rebounds. Moore and Elston each chipped in 13.
SEMO concludes its 2020-21 regular season on the road in the Land of Lincoln. The Redhawks take on Eastern Illinois on Thursday, Feb. 25 in Charleston, Illinois, before facing SIUE on Saturday, Feb. 27 in Edwardsville, Illinois.
