ST. CHARLES, Mo. – Southeast Missouri Women's Basketball (4-14, 2-7 OVC) fell on Thursday night to Lindenwood (11-7, 7-2 OVC) by a final score of 84-76 from Hyland Arena. 
 
Lexi McCully led the Redhawks in scoring as five different Redhawks finished in double figures. McCully finished with a career-high 22 points on 8-17 shooting, including an impressive 4-7 day from three-point range. 
 
Zoe Best (16), Indiya Bowen (13), Skylar Barnes (11), and Ainaya Williams (12) all finished in double figures on Thursday night. Williams narrowly missed a double-double, finishing with a team-high nine rebounds. 
 
As a team, SEMO shot 44.1-percent from the field (26-59), 40-percent from three (10-25), and 70-percent from the charity stripe (14-20). 
 
The Redhawks fell behind 6-0 in the first quarter before Skylar Barnes drove to the basket for SEMO's first points of the contest. 
 
Barnes' layup sparked a 7-0 run including back-to-back baskets from Lexi McCully. McCully got on the stat sheet with a nice floating jump shot just inside the paint and followed it up with a three-pointer to give the Redhawks a 7-6 lead with 6:48 left in the quarter. 
 
Guard Indiya Bowen tied the game back up following a driving layup after a three from LU's Gracy Wernli. The teams were tied at nine with 5:36 left in the opening frame. 
 
Barnes continued her scoring nearly a minute later with a three-pointer to regain a one-point advantage over the Lions, but LU would go on a quick 5-0 run to take a 16-12 lead with 2:56 left. 
 
An Ainaya Williams layup and a pair of free throws from Bowen tied the game for the third time in the opening quarter. Brianna Hill snagged an offensive rebound with three seconds left in the quarter to make it 18-16 SEMO. LU would hit a three at the buzzer to make it 19-18 Lions after one. 
 
Trailing 24-18, Zoe Best got the Redhawks on the board for the first time in the second quarter with a beautiful driving layup, finishing through the contact to make it 24-20 Lions. 
 
LU would lead by eight points with 7:21 left after Ellie Brueggemann's third three-pointer of the quarter, giving them a 29-21 lead. 
 
Lexi McCully drained her second three of the half with 4:32 left before halftime, getting the Redhawks to within five which was the closest margin of the second quarter. The Lions would extend their lead back out with a 5-0 run to extend their lead back out to 10. 
 
A beautiful defense play led to the final basket of the half for SEMO as Best intercepted a pass on the defensive end, dribbled all the way to the other end, and dumped it off to McCully for the easy lay-in. At the half, SEMO trailed 42-32. 
 
McCully led the Redhawks in scoring in the first half with 10 points on 4-9 shooting, including a perfect 2-2 from three-point range. As a team, SEMO shot 38.7-percent from the field and 43-percent from three. 
 
SEMO outrebounded LU in the first half by a 23-15 margin led by Brianna Hill with a season-high six rebounds. 
 
McCully opened the second half with another three-pointer pulling the Redhawks to within seven points with 9:53 left in the third. 
 
The Redhawks defense turned it on in the second half with a beautiful steal from Zoe Best. Best stole the ball, dribbled the length of the court, and dished it off to McCully for the easy layup. SEMO trailed 48-42 with 6:42 left in the third. 
 
An Indiya Bowen jump shot sparked an 8-0 run by the Redhawks, capped off by a pair of free throws from McCully to get SEMO to within two.
 
The Lions grew their lead out to nine points to end the third quarter with a last second jump shot from Mykayla Cunningham to make it 59-50 going into the fourth. 
 
SEMO got the game to within six points two different times in the fourth quarter, but LU would ice the game at the free throw line and hold on for the 84-76 victory. 
 
Looking Ahead
SEMO Women's Basketball will return to action on Saturday, January 25, to take on Western Illinois. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m., CT. in Macomb, Ill.