CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Southeast Missouri (9-14, 4-7) fell to Little Rock (13-9, 10-1) by a score of 58-39 Thursday night at the Show Me Center.
 
LR, which entered the game shooting 64.1 percent at the free throw line, outscored SEMO, 20-5, in free throws and that was the difference. The Trojans made 20-of-29 for just under 70 percent for the night. 
 
Neither team led by more than six points in the opening two quarters of play. 
 
SEMO built a 17-11 advantage with less than a minute left in the first quarter when Kennedi Watkins' jumper followed baskets by both Jaliyah Green and Julia Sion.
 
LR battled back to tie the game at 19-19 on a layup by Faith Lee with 4:24 remaining in the second period. Lee's basket started an 11-2 run the closed out the half and gave the Trojans a 30-21 advantage at the intermission. Lee added a free throw to put LR ahead and the Trojans didn't trail again. 
 
SEMO, after shooting over 43 percent in the game's first 10 minutes, went 2-of-18 from the floor at an 11 percent clip in the second quarter.
 
LR widened its lead to double figures early in the third quarter and pulled ahead by 13 on three occasions before holding a 43-35 lead. SEMO, however, edged the Trojans, 14-13, in the third quarter. 
 
The Trojans led by as many as 19 with 38 seconds left in the fourth quarter before closing out their win.
 
Alecia Doyle led SEMO with nine points and four rebounds for SEMO which shot 25.8 percent (16-of-62) from the field and 2-of-24 from long range. Green, Kori Tomlin and Kennedi Watkins followed with six points apiece.
 
Lee scored a game-high 21 points to lead LR. Angelique Francis added 16 points and Sali Kourouma pulled down 19 rebounds for the Trojans, as well. 
 
SEMO returns to action when it travels to Tennessee Tech Saturday.