LAWRENCE, Kan. – Halle Smith matched a career-high 18 points and had a game-high eight rebounds as Southeast Missouri (3-5) dropped an 88-51 decision to Big 12 Conference member Kansas (7-0) Sunday afternoon at Allen Fieldhouse.
 
Smith scored 16 of her points in the second half finishing with 18 in a game for the second time in her career 
 
SEMO missed six of its first seven shots and KU hit 72 percent from the field in the opening seven minutes of play. The Jayhawks put together a 22-2 run to get early momentum and never turned back. 
 
Alecia Doyle and Diona Reed each made a jumper for the Redhawks only points in the first quarter as KU led, 30-4, after the first quarter.
 
SEMO scored eight-straight points toward the end of the second period with a pair of free throws by Halle Smith and a 3-pointer from both Sophie Bussard and Jaliyah Green.
 
The Jayhawks later headed into the locker room with a 50-18 advantage.
 
Smith led the way with six points in the third quarter, while Green and and Kennedi Watkins added four apiece.
 
SEMO then won the final stanza by a count of 17-14.
 
Smith shot 6-of-16 from the field and a near-perfect 5-of-6 at the free throw line as SEMO's lone double-digit scorer. Green followed with nine points, while Watkins pulled down seven rebounds.
 
KU, which converted 20 SEMO turnovers into 29 points, shot 46 percent from the field and made 10 threes. The Jayhawks put four starters in double figures with Taiyanna Jackson's 17 points leading the way.
 
SEMO is back in action when it hosts Western Illinois on Dec. 7.