EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – Southeast Missouri (4-13, 0-6) let a 12-point lead get away in a 73-66 loss to SIU Edwardsville (6-8, 2-1) Saturday afternoon in Ohio Valley Conference action at First Community Arena.
 
Taelour Pruitt paved the way for SEMO with 20 points, her second 20-point effort this season. Kennedi Watkins matched a season-high 14 points and grabbed a team-high six rebounds off the bench, while Deanay Watson contributed 17 points.
 
SEMO led, 49-37, early in the third quarter when SIUE mounted its comeback. The Cougars went on a 15-3 run and tied the game at 52-52 on Ajulu Thatha's second-chance layup with 2:34 left.
 
That was the turning point as the Redhawks never led again.
 
Knotted at 58-58 at the end of three quarters, SIUE scored five of the first seven points of the final period and pulled ahead, 65-60, on Mikala Hall's free throw at the 6:19 mark.
 
A layup by Shymaryia Christopher and Watkins narrowed the Cougars lead to three on two occasions, but that was as close as SEMO would get. 
 
The Redhawks, who went scoreless for half of the fourth quarter, fell behind by eight (72-64) before SIUE put its second league victory on ice.  
 
After SEMO and SIUE battled to a 18-18 tie in game's opening 10 minutes, the Redhawks heated up to shoot 58.8 percent in the second quarter.
 
The Redhawks used a 6-0 run and forced four turnovers in a little over two minutes to build a seven-point advantage. Pruitt's jumper gave SEMO a 28-21 lead with 7:12 remaining in the first half.
 
SIUE committed five fouls to put SEMO in the bonus for the final 7:16 of the first half. As a result, the Redhawks scored eight of their points at the free throw line and managed to outscore the Cougars, 29-19, in the second quarter before heading into the locker room up, 47-37.
 
Pruitt buried a 3-pointer to put the Redhawks ahead by double figures (40-30) for the first time in the game. She then made a layup to give SEMO its largest lead of the first half (47-35) with 1:12 on the clock.
 
SEMO committed 27 turnovers in the game, including 18 in the second half.
 
Pruitt, who scored 15 first-half points, went 8-of-13 from the field and 3-of-6 from 3-point range to go along with four assists.
 
Watson made 6-of-11 field goals and a near-perfect 5-of-6 free throws, while Watkins shot 7-of-10 from the floor.
As a team, SEMO shot 45.6 percent (26-of-57).
 
True freshman Sofie Lowis dropped in a game-high 21 points to lead SIUE. Allie Troeckler turned in a double-double 20 points and 10 rebounds, and Mikia Keith pitched in 11 points.
 
The Cougars outscored the Redhawks, 36-19, in the second half.
 
SIUE played today's game without its top two scorers and ended a seven-game losing streak in its series against SEMO.
 
SEMO returns to action when it hosts Tennessee State on Jan. 20.