CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Southeast Missouri (5-6) buried a season-high 10 three-pointers and made a huge defensive stop to edge Illinois-Chicago (8-3), 56-55, Tuesday morning at the Show Me Center.
 
Neither team scored for the final 2:12 of the game and UIC had the ball with 43 seconds left following two missed free throws by Kennedi Watkins. 
 
Sara Zabrecky missed a 3-pointer and Kristian Young grabbed the offensive rebound to extend the Flames' possession. After a 30-second timeout, Julia Sion stole the ball from Danyel Middleton and time expired.
 
SEMO knocked off a strong UIC team and overcame a double-digit deficit to pull off its exciting come-from-behind victory.
 
Down, 28-17, with 5:14 remaining in the second quarter, the Redhawks put together a ferocious 16-0 run to take a five-point advantage.
 
Kiyley Flowers, Alecia Doyle and Jaliyah Green each made a 3-pointer to kickstart the surge. Doyle later tied the game at 28-28 on a jumper and Michaela Mayfield drained a 3-pointer to put the Redhawks ahead, 31-28, on their ensuing possession.
 
Two free throws by Green widened SEMO's lead to 33-28 with 1:30 to go before the Redhawks led, 33-32, at the half.
 
Less than 30 seconds into the third quarter, Kristian Young made two free throws to regain a 34-33 lead for UIC. That, however, was the last time the Flames would be ahead.
 
SEMO took its biggest lead when Doyle splashed in a 3-pointer off a turnover to make it a 49-43 game with a little over two minutes left. 
 
Then, late in the fourth quarter, UIC scored five-straight points to cut SEMO's lead to 56-55 and did not score again after that.
 
SEMO shot 56 percent (10-of-18) from 3-point range with seven different players making a three. The Redhawks last had 10 or more 3-pointers made in a non-conference game vs. Illinois-Springfield (11) on Dec. 4, 2018. At one time, SEMO made seven 3-pointers in a row.
 
Flowers paved the way with 11 points on 3-of-5 field goals and 3-of-4 free throws. Two of her field goals came from long range.
 
Doyle followed close behind with 10 points. She, too, hit a pair of 3-pointers.
 
Defensively, SEMO forced 19 turnovers and converted those into 28 points. The Redhawks held a +16 margin (28-12) in points off turnovers.
Josie Filer topped UIC with 15 points and nine rebounds.
 
The Redhawks won their fifth-straight game at home where they are undefeated (5-0) this season.
 
SEMO, which ended non-conference play against the Flames, breaks for nine days before starting Ohio Valley Conference play at Southern Indiana on Dec. 29.