CARBONDALE, Ill. — Southeast Missouri Women's Basketball (3-5) fell to Southern Illinois (2-6), 76-71, in a closely contested matchup at the Banterra Center. The Redhawks maintained a 44-42 rebounding advantage but were unable to overcome 19 turnovers.

First Quarter
- Carmen Taylor connected on two early 3-pointers, contributing to the Redhawks' initial lead.
- The Salukis responded with a 6-point run, fueled by Mia Gaines' layups, to tie the game.
- Kayla Cooper's fastbreak 3-pointer helped the Salukis take the lead late in the quarter.
- At the end of the first, the Salukis held a 16–14 advantage.

Second Quarter
- Lexi McCully and Madison Ayers combined for an early jumper to tie the score at 16.
- Indya Green contributed with a layup and two free throws, pushing the Salukis ahead 20–16.
- Taylor capped the half with a critical 3-pointer, leveling the score at 34.
- The teams entered halftime deadlocked at 35.

Third Quarter
- Ainaya Williams initiated the scoring with a layup at 9:09 to tie the game at 37.
- McCully contributed with a steal and assisted on a jumper by Williams as the Redhawks briefly took the lead.
- The Salukis responded with a layup by Tkiyah Nelson at 6:14, followed by a free throw to extend their advantage.
- Taylor's back-to-back free throws at 3:47 put the Redhawks ahead 49–46.
- At the end of the third quarter, the Redhawks held a narrow 56–55 lead.

Fourth Quarter
- Williams contributed early with two layups, helping the Redhawks maintain a slight edge.
- Raissa Nsabua's fastbreak layup extended the lead to six, but the Salukis responded with a 3-pointer from Cooper.
- McCully hit a crucial 3-pointer at 1:26, briefly giving the Redhawks the lead.
- Alayna Kraus and Nelson combined for clutch free throws in the final seconds, sealing the win for the Salukis.
- At the final buzzer, the Salukis secured the victory with a score of 76–71.

SEMO Top Performers
Carmen Taylor
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- 22 points
- 7/9 free throws made
- 5 rebounds

Ainaya Williams
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- 17 points
- 7 field goals made
- 7 rebounds
- 2 blocks

Kearra Jones
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- 10 points
- 3/3 free throws made
- 6 rebounds

Lexi McCully
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- 8 points
- 3 assists
- 1 block

Looking ahead, Southeast Missouri will travel to face Tennessee Tech on Thursday, Dec. 18 at 5:30 p.m. The matchup will take place in Cookeville, Tennessee.