CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Southeast Missouri Women's Basketball (3-9, 0-1 OVC) dropped the Ohio Valley Conference opener to Southern Indiana (6-5, 1-0 OVC) by a final score of 75-37 on Friday night at the Show-Me Center. 
 
Alecia Doyle led the Redhawks, who struggled offensively, with nine points on 3-for-9 shooting and was a perfect 3-for-3 from the charity stripe. SEMO shot just 12-for-60 (20-percent) from the floor in the contest, including 2-for-22 from three-point land. 
 
The Redhawks were an impressive 11-for-15 from the free throw line in the contest (73-percent) as three Redhawks were perfect from the stripe. Doyle, Jaliyah Green, and guard Megan Barton all finished flawless for the game. 
 
SEMO committed 21 turnovers to just 16 for USI as the Screaming Eagles finished with a 27-7 advantage in points off turnovers, and outrebounded SEMO by a 49-34 margin. Guard Kiyley Flowers led the Redhawks in rebounding, finishing with eight total boards.
 
USI forward Meredith Raley finished with a double-double on 11 points and 13 rebounds. 
 
USI started out with three consecutive baskets to start the game with a 7-0 lead. Addy Blackwell had the first five points for the Screaming Eagles. 
 
A pair of Jaliyah Green free throws got the Redhawks on the board at the 7:08-mark. 
 
SEMO, who finished the quarter with four offensive rebounds, got their second basket of the game off an Abby Stephens rebound and putback to make the score 9-4 with five minutes to go in quarter one. 
 
Late in the quarter, the Redhawks registered back-to-back baskets to trim the USI lead to just five. Alecia Doyle scored a pullup jump shot just outside of the lane off an assist from Daejah Richmond. 
 
Megan Barton grabbed an offensive board and finished a layup to make the score 14-9 with 2:35 left. USI closed the quarter on a 9-1 run and led 23:10 at the end of the opening 10-minutes. 
 
Barton continued her scoring ways with a pair of free-throws for SEMO's first points of the second quarter. 
 
Seven straight points from USI's Vanessa Shafford to begin the quarter for USI extended their lead to 30-12 at the 7:46-mark, the closest they would get the remainder of the half. 
 
A pair of Alecia Doyle free throws and an Abby Stephens fast break layup would get the Redhawks to 19, trailing 38-19 with 2:34 left in the half. 
 
The final two minutes saw just one field goal made by USI, and the Screaming Eagles led 41-19 at the break. 
 
SEMO was led by Alecia Doyle with seven points on 2-for-6 shooting, as SEMO shot 5-28 from the field in the opening 20-minutes and failed to record a made three-pointer (0-8). 
 
Kiyley Flowers led the Redhawks in rebounding, pulling down five rebounds in 15-minutes of game time. 
 
USI shot 16-for-37 (43-percent), including 5-for-16 from behind the arc. 
 
The Redhawks first basket came early out of the halftime break with a layup from forward Julia Sion for the first basket from either team. 
 
USI would command the game from that point on as the Redhawks lost the quarter 20-5, led by eight points from Chloe Gannon and seven points from Meredith Raley. 
 
SEMO registered their first three-pointer of the contest with 2:54 left in the third quarter from Jaliyah Green as the Redhawks trailed 55-24. 
 
Indiya Bowen scored her five points all in the fourth quarter with a jump shot in the paint and a three pointer in the left corner. Her three rattled home at the 6:47-mark in the fourth quarter with SEMO trailing 64-31. 
 
USI would hold on to take a 75-37 victory in the first Ohio Valley Conference game of the season. 
 
SEMO will be back in action on Sunday, Dec. 31, when they take on Morehead State. Tip-off is set for 1:15 p.m., CT. at the Show-Me Center.