CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Southeast Missouri Women's Basketball (2-8, 1-1 OVC) picked up the first Ohio Valley Conference win of the season on Saturday afternoon with a 67-61 victory over SIUE (2-9, 0-2 OVC) from the Show Me Center. 
 
Freshman guard Zoe Best recorded the first double-double of the season for SEMO with a 15-point, 13 rebound performance. Best led the Redhawks in both categories as she was a perfect 8-for-8 from the charity stripe. 
 
As a team, SEMO shot 17-20 from the free throw line (85-percent) led by Best. Jariyah Williamson finished a perfect 1.000 at the line (2-2). 
 
Williamson, who made her second consecutive start on Saturday, finished with 14 points on 4-of-6 shooting. All her shots came from behind the three-point line as she shot 66-percent from deep. 
 
SEMO outrebounded SIUE by a 38-36 advantage, the second time all season the the Redhawks have outrebounded their opponent. SEMO turned 10 offensive rebounds into eight points, and out-scored SIUE in the paint by a 24-20 advantage. 
 
The Cougars opened the scoring in the first quarter with a pair of free throws from Ava Stoller and a basket from KK Rodriguez to make it 4-0 SIUE. 
 
Jariyah Williamson got the Redhawks on the board with a three pointer off the left wing with 6:41 left in the first quarter to make it 4-3. 
 
Williamson's three sparked a 7-0 SEMO run as Indiya Bowen and Zoe Best recorded layups on back-to-back possessions to make it 7-4 Redhawks with just over five minutes before the quarter break. 
 
The Redhawks continued the run with a Sophie Bussard three pointer to make it a 10-0 SEMO run with 4:42 left. 
 
An Anjelicia Del Valle second-chance opportunity was the final basket of the opening frame and put SEMO up 20-10 at the end of the first quarter. 
 
SIUE opened the second quarter with three-straight three pointers capped off by Ava Gugliuzza cutting their deficit to just a point with 6:35 left before halftime. 
 
Best would answer with her own three pointer to regain a four-point advantage for the Redhawks. Rodriguez would respond with a jumper before Bussard sunk a pair of free throws to keep it at a four-point lead with 5:57 left. 
 
A pair of SIUE free throws would get the visitors within two points before another Bussard free throw and an Indiya Bowen layup made it 30-25 at the end of the first half. 
 
Two baskets in a row out of the halftime break the first by Bussard followed by Indiya Bowen gave SEMO a nine-point lead early in the second half. 
 
SIUE would get to within a point with just over five minutes left in the third quarter after a pair of Rodriguez free throws made it 38-37 Redhawks. 
 
Senior Skylar Barnes would record the final two points of the third at the charity stripe to give SEMO a 46-43 advantage heading to the final quarter. 
 
The two teams played to a 55-55 tie with 2:42 left in the contest after a pair of SIUE free throws. Jariyah Williamson recorded the two biggest baskets of the contest on back-to-back three pointers to quickly put SEMO up six points with just 1:18 left. 
 
The Redhawks, who led 61-55 after Williamson's three pointers, closed the game out at the free throw line with four-striaght free throws from Zoe Best and won the game, 67-61. 
 
Looking Ahead
SEMO Women's Basketball will close out the non-conference portion of the 2024-25 schedule on New Year's Eve, December 31, when they welcome in William Woods. Tip-off is set for Noon, CT. at the Show Me Center.