BEREA, Ky. – Southeast Missouri Women's Basketball (0-4) fell on Sunday afternoon to Eastern Kentucky (2-3) by a final score of 89-61 from the Seabury Center. 
 
Freshman Ainaya Williams and Brianna Hill led the Redhawks in scoring with 12 and 11 points, respectively. Hill, making her first start in a SEMO uniform, finished the game 3-for-7 from the field and an impressive 5-for-6 from the charity stripe. 
 
EKU outrebounded the Redhawks by a 45-30 advantage and outshot the Redhawks 41.0 to 29.0-percent from the field in the contest. 
 
The Colonels jumped out to a 5-0 lead after a layup from Raphaeia Toussaint and a three-pointer from Althea Angeles. Freshman Zoe Best halted the 5-0 run and put the Redhawks on the board with a three of her own to make it 5-3 with 8:29 left in the opening period. 
 
Trailing 11-3 after another Colonels' three pointer, guard Kennedy Claybrooks drained a three with a defender in her face to trim the deficit to five, 11-6, with 6:43 left. 
 
Brianna Hill, making her first start of the season, made a nice driving layup off a pass from Lexi McCully. Hill took the pass and drove for the up and under layup on the right side to get the Redhawks back to within five. 
 
A pair of Anjelicia Del Valle free throws, an elbow jumper from Best, and a pair of Hill free throws sparked a 6-0 run by SEMO to cut it to 20-19 with just a minute left. 
 
At the end of the first quarter, SEMO trailed 22-19. EKU opened the second quarter on a 5-0 run to make it 27-19. 
 
Ainaya Williams, who came off the bench, scored eight second quarter points with her first basket of the game on a turnaround jump shot. 
 
Following an EKU three, Williams scored again on a turnaround just outside of the lane to cut it back to a seven-point deficit. 
 
Lexi McCully scored on a fast break layup and then Williams with another basket got the Redhawks to within three points (30-27). 
 
Brianna Hill grabbed an offensive rebound and put it back up and in with 23 seconds left to trim it to 38-32 just before halftime. EKU recorded a free throw to make it 39-32 Colonels at halftime. 
 
SEMO outshot EKU in the opening 20-minutes with a 52.2 to 38.9-percent shooting advantage led by Ainaya Williams with eight points. Brianna Hill led the Redhawks with four total rebounds. 
 
The Redhawks opened the second half with a pair of Hill free throws to cut it to 39-34 early in the third quarter. 
 
EKU would extend their lead to as many as 16 points after a three-point shot from Liz Freihofer to make it 53-37. 
 
At the end of the third quarter, SEMO trailed 58-48 after a pair of free throws from Ainaya Williams. 
 
EKU used 31 points in the fourth quarter to pull away, shooting 66.7-percent from the floor in the final quarter to win the contest, 89-61. 
 
Looking Ahead
SEMO Women's Basketball will return to action on Monday, November 25, when they take on Southern Illinois in the home opener. Tip-off is set for 6:30 p.m., CT. at the Show-Me Center.