CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Southeast Missouri Women's Basketball (1-8, 0-1 OVC) fell in the Ohio Valley Conference opener to Eastern Illinois (4-6, 1-0 OVC) by a final score of 71-55 from the Show Me Center on Thursday night. 
 
Guard Zoe Best led all scorers with 19 points, eight of them coming in the final quarter, as she finished 7-for-18 from the field including 3-of-9 from three-point range. She was also a perfect 2-for-2 at the charity stripe. 
 
Indiya Bowen, coming off a 19-point performance on Monday afternoon, chipped in 10 points of her own for her second-straight game with double figures. Fellow guard Skylar Barnes recorded a season-high 10 points on 3-of-6 shooting and was 2-for-3 from three. 
 
The Redhawks forced EIU into 25 turnovers and converted them into 21 points, but the Panthers controlled the glass behind 18 rebounds from Macy McGlone, outrebounding the Redhawks 43-24. McGlone finished with a team-high 17 points. 
 
EIU opened the scoring with a pair of free throws from Tiny Lewis to make it 2-0 Panthers with 7:10 to go before the quarter break. 
 
Both teams struggled offensively in the first half as Indiya Bowen split a pair of free throws nearly a minute later to get SEMO on the board. 
 
Another EIU free throw, followed by Zoe Best's first basket of the contest made it 3-3 after nearly five minutes of action. The Panthers closed the opening frame on a 6-2 run as Bowen scored the only other basket for SEMO as EIU led 8-5. 
 
EIU opened the second quarter on a 12-0 run capped by a layup from Lewis to make it 20-5 Panthers with 5:01 left before halftime. 
 
The Redhawks scored 12 points in the second quarter, but did not register a point until the 4:23 mark when Lexi McCully drained a pair of free throws, sparking a 3-0 SEMO run. Brianna Hill split a pair of free throws and the Redhawks trailed 20-8. 
 
The run got the Redhawks going a little bit as Sophie Bussard answered a pair of EIU free throws with two of her own to make it 22-12 with just under two minutes to go til the break. 
 
Following an EIU turnover, the Redhawks converted it into their first three pointer of the game via Lexi McCully to get within a 22-15 deficit. EIU closed the half on a 7-2 run to take a 29-17 lead into the locker room. 
 
Both teams struggled in the first half offensively as the teams combined for just 46 points in the opening 20 minutes. The Panthers shot 42-percent (8-19) compared to just 20-percent (5-25) from SEMO. 
 
SEMO was active on the defensive end, turning over EIU 14 times in the first half while converting them into eight points on the offensive end. 
 
Lexi McCully led the Redhawks in scoring with five first half points on 1-of-7 shooting, including 2-2 at the charity stripe. 
 
Zoe Best scored the first five points of the second half for the Redhawks with a pair of free throws and a three pointer to get the Redhawks to within nine points, the closest they would be the rest of the way. With 7:32 left in the third, SEMO trailed 31-22. 
 
An 8-0 run from the Panthers pushed their lead to 17 as the lead 39-22 with just under five minutes remaining in the third before a pair of Brianna Hill free throws halted the draught. 
 
The Redhawks won the fourth quarter, 26-23, behind eight points from Best and seven points from Skylar Barnes but it wasn't enough as the Panthers held on for the 71-55 victory. 
Looking Ahead
SEMO Women's Basketball will return to the Show Me Center on Saturday, December 21, when they host SIUE. Tip-off is set for 1:30 p.m., Ct. in Cape Girardeau.