MARTIN, Tenn. – Lexi McCully scored 18 points and freshman Zoey Rixter added 14 rebounds to lead Southeast Missouri (9-17, 5-12) to a 62-52 win over UT Martin (13-13, 9-8) Tuesday night at the Elam Center.
 
SEMO beat the Skyhawks in Martin for the first time since Jan. 14, 2017 (82-79).
 
The Redhawks led for all but 9:15 of the contest.
 
McCully gave SEMO a strong start out of the gate coming off the bench to score eight of her team's first 15 points. 
 
The Redhawks trailed, 15-9, with less than two minutes to go in the first quarter when McCully knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers to tie the game at 15-15. The Skyhawks answered with a three of their own in the final seconds to get an 18-15 edge.
 
SEMO opened the second quarter with a 17-1 run and pulled ahead, 32-19, on Carmen Taylor's free throw at the 4:33 mark.
 
A second-chance layup by Zoey Rixter put the Redhawks up 13 again (34-21) before UTM scored the last seven points to close SEMO's margin to 34-28 at the half. 
 
The Redhawks held the Skyhawks to 28.6 percent (4-of-14) from the field in the second period. UTM also went a span of nearly four minutes without a point.
 
SEMO didn't let up in the second half and took its largest lead of the night when Ainaya Williams hit two free throws to make it a 50-35 game with a minute left in the third quarter.
 
The Redhawks didn't let the Skyhawks get any closer than eight points the rest of the way.
 
SEMO limited UTM to just 52 points, matching the Skyhawks' lowest point total of the season.
 
McCully and Williams (12) teamed up to outscore UTM's bench, 30-2.
 
McCully made 6-of-14 from the field with12 of her points coming from beyond the 3-point arc. Williams made six of the Redhawks nine free throws and contributed six rebounds.
 
Taylor chipped in 11 points, while Raissa Nsabua finished with eight boards.
 
As a team, SEMO man-handled UTM on the glass, 49-28.
 
The Redhawks conclude their lengthy four-game road stretch at Little Rock on Feb. 21.