CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Southeast Missouri Women's Basketball (3-10, 0-2 OVC) comeback bid fell short on Sunday afternoon, dropping the contest to Morehead State (6-6, 1-0 OVC) by a final score of 64-61 at the Show-Me Center. 
 
Guards Alecia Doyle and Jaliyah Green got back in double digits to lead SEMO in scoring as the duo combined for 17 and 15 points, respectively. 
 
SEMO shot 23-for-62 from the field (37-percent) and finished 5-for-24 from three-point land (20-percent). The Redhawks continued to shoot well from the free throw line, finishing 10-for-12 from the charity stipe as three Redhawks finished perfect. 
 
The Redhawks defense forced 28 MSU turnovers and converted them into 25 points, but SEMO was outrebounded by a staggering 43-25 margin. MSU converted 13 offesnive rebounds into 11 second-chance points. 
 
MSU's Katie Novik finished the game with a game-high 21 points on 5-for-12 shooting, as the Eagles picked up their first conference win of the season. 
 
SEMO got out to a fast start in the opening quarter of Sunday's contest as guard Kiyley Flowers drove the lane on the very first possession of the game and finished a layup with her right hand to give SEMO a 2-0 lead. 
 
Forward Julia Sion scored the next basket for the Redhawks utilizing a nice post move before the Eagles were able to get on the board with a pair of free throws at the 8:20-mark. 
 
The Redhawks used the offensive glass and good defense to build an eight-point lead beginning with an Alecia Doyle offensive rebound and putback. 
 
MSU then committed a turnover to get the Redhawks running in transition as guard Daejah Richmond found Michaela Mayfield for an easy finish. Richmond then capitalized on another MSU turnover as she finished the fast break layup to give SEMO a 10-2 lead midway through the opening 10-minutes. 
 
The Eagles got to within six as the first quarter was winding down off a jump shot from Veronica Charles as SEMO led 15-9 with 1:33 left. 
 
MSU opened the scoring in the second quarter as Skylar Barnes made a driving layup over the SEMO defense. 
 
The Redhawks would respond with their first three-pointer of the contest at the 8:21 mark, as forward Abbigail Stephens stepped out and drained the three off an assist from Flowers to make the score 19-11. 
 
Jaliyah Green drained the second three pointer of the game just a minute later as the Redhawks built a seven-point lead, 22-15, nearing the midway point of the second frame. 
 
MSU would go on an 8-0 run over the next three minutes to tie it at 22, forcing SEMO into a timeout. Green would halt the run with a three out of the timeout to give SEMO its first points since the 7:16 mark. 
 
The Eagles would close the half on a 9-0 run and led 31-25 at the end of 20-minutes as SEMO failed to record a field goal after Green's three pointer with 4:12 left in the half. 
 
SEMO finished the half led by Green with six points as nine different Redhawks recorded points in the opening half. The Redhawks were shooting 9-for-27 from the field (33-percent) compared to 11-for-27 from MSU (40-percent). 
 
Stephens and Green were the only players in the game to record a three-pointer as the Redhawks shot 3-for-12 from behind the arc, while MSU failed to record a three (0-11). 
 
The Redhawks defense forced nine first half turnovers from MSU, converting them into eight points. 
The beginning of the second half belonged to the Eagles as they built a 10-point lead, 44-34, midway through the third quarter as Hallie Rhodes finished a layup with 5:23 left in the quarter. 
 
Jaliyah Green would get the Redhawks back in the contest beginning with a nice fast break layup off a pass from Alecia Doyle. 
 
Doyle would sink a pair of free throws with 2:45 left to cut the MSU lead to just six. Green would then complete a three-point play to get the Redhawks to within five, the closest they had been in the quarter. 
 
MSU would respond with an and-one of their own coming from Katie Novik to extend their lead back to eight with just over one minute to play. 
 
SEMO got out in transition as Kiyley Flowers turned over the Eagles on the fast break. Flowers threw it ahead to guard Indiya Bowen who found Doyle at the free throw line for the jumper. 

At the end of the third, SEMO trailed 49-43. 
 
The Redhawks fought back in the fourth quarter beginning with a big three pointer from Alecia Doyle to cut the MSU lead to five. 
 
Michaela Mayfield gave the Redhawks the lead with 6:42 left in the game, the first lead for SEMO since the first half. Mayfield got the opportunity off of a MSU turnover and the Redhawks led 52-51 with 6:42 left in the contest. 
 
A quick 6-0 MSU run would give the Eagles a five-point lead before the Redhawks recorded their next basket, a free throw from Julia Sion. 
 
SEMO would try to comeback with a quick 6-0 run from back-to-back baskets by Green and Indiya Bowen, and a pair of Aleica Doyle free throws got the Redhawks to within two points, 63-61. 
 
MSU would sink its final free throw to end the comeback bid, and hold on for a 64-61 victory on Sunday afternoon. 
 
SEMO will be back in action on Thursday, Jan. 4, when they head to Macomb, Ill. to take on Western Illinois. Tip-off is set for 5 p.m., CT.