CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Marqueas Bell scored a career-high 19 points to lead Southeast Missouri (5-6) to an 88-65 victory over Saint Xavier Sunday afternoon at the Show Me Center.
 
SEMO picked up its third-straight win and improved to 3-0 in December during its non-conference finale.
 
Ahead, 9-6, SEMO built a big lead with the help of a 20-2 run less than 10 minutes into the contest.
 
Brendan Terry's started the surge and Braxton Stacker later hit a 3-pointer to give the Redhawks their first double-digit lead. Luke Almodovar's two free throws capped the run putting SEMO ahead, 29-8, with 10:18 remaining in the first half.
 
Marqueas Bell drove the length of the court and beat the buzzer with a two-handed jam giving the Redhawks a 46-22 advantage at halftime.
 
SEMO forced 13 turnovers and limited SXU to 27.6 percent from the field in the first 20 minutes. The Cougars also made just 3-of-13 from long range.
 
The Redhawks led by as many as 33 when Almodovar drained a second chance 3-pointer to make it a 76-43 game with 9:57 to go.
 
As a team, SEMO shot 50.8 percent (31-of-61) from the field and made eight 3-pointers.
 
Bell was a perfect 6-of-6 from the floor and added 6-of-7 free throws. He also led the Redhawks with six rebounds and dished out three assists.
 
Almodovar followed with 14 points and Stacker chipped in 12.
 
The Redhawks forced 19 turnovers and SXU shot 39 percent (23-of-59) from the field, the lowest field goal percentage of any opponent this season.
 
SEMO begins its 20-game Ohio Valley Conference slate at Tennessee Tech on Dec. 18.