SATURDAY’S SCORES
Southeast Missouri 55, @Texas Pan American 54
Tennessee State 57, @Samford 40
SIUE 49, Clemson 43
Eastern Illinois 89, Buffalo 73
ULM 59,
@Tennessee Tech 48
William & Mary 88,
Austin Peay 76
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 55, TEXAS PAN AMERICAN
HOUSTON, Texas - For the second time in three games, Southeast Missouri won a game on its final possession, coming back from a 12-point second-half deficit to defeat Texas-Pan American 55-54 on Saturday morning.
Jordan Hunter's basket with six seconds remaining capped a furious comeback by the Redhawks, who split their stay at the David Jones Classic and improve to 3-3 on the season.
UTPA scored the first seven points of the game as Southeast went over seven minutes without a point. Patricia Mack hit a three-pointer from the top of the key with 12:17 left for the first Redhawk points, cutting the Broncs lead to 7-3.
After the Broncs grabbed a 12-3 lead, the Redhawks responded with a 10-3 spurt. Bailie Roberts hit a jumper to start the rally and then Olivia Hackmann hit a free throw and a jump shot. Jordan Hunter cut the gap to 15-11 with a three-pointer from the wing. Hackmann got to the basket for a layup to make it a 15-13 game with seven and half minutes remaining in the opening stanza.
Franchesca Simon ended the run with a three-pointer and UTPA went up 20-15 on its next possession. A Roberts layup followed by two Mack free throws brought Southeast to within a point at 20-19.
The next run went to the Broncs, this one an 11-2 rally that put them up 31-21 with 1:29 to go. UTPA took a 35-25 lead into halftime.
After falling behind by 12 (37-25) in the first minute of the second half, Southeast got a three-pointer from Allyson Bradshaw and a Mack jumper that brought it within seven points at 37-30.
A Bianca Torre three-pointer extended the Broncs' lead back to 10 points at 42-32 with 16:56 to play. The next three minutes featured only two points by both teams, putting the score at 44-34 with 13:33 left.
After the Redhawks pulled within five points, a Ce'Monay Newell three-pointer upped the Broncs up 49-41 with 6:32 showing on the clock. From there Southeast embarked on a 10-2 run. Courtney Shiffer's free throw started it up and Roberts cut the lead down to five with a layup. The Redhawks followed with a defensive stop and Hunter nailed a three-pointer to bring the score to 49-47, the closest it had been since the first half.
Cassandra Moody hit a jumper to make it a four-point game, but Hackmann followed with back-to-back jumpers that tied the game at 51 apiece, the first tie of the game. The freshman followed that up by splitting a pair of free throws, giving the Redhawks their first lead of the game at 52-51 with 1:15 left.
UTPA's Franchesca Simon hit a jumper in the paint on the ensuing possession put the Broncs back in front, but Roberts hit a free throw to tie the contest at 53 apiece.
On the next Broncs possession, Jasmine Thompson got fouled on a drive and split two free throws, making it 54-53 with 24 seconds on the clock, setting up a dramatic finish.
After a Southeast timeout, Hunter drove to the basket on the left side and hoisted a shot up from the baseline just outside the paint that rolled into the basket with six seconds remaining. KaeLynn Boyd went the other way looking to give UTPA the win, but her three-pointer was off the mark and the Redhawks secured a one-point victory.
Southeeast shot 33.3 percent from the floor and 4-of-16 (25 percent) from beyond the arc. UTPA followed with 34.9 percent shooting and a 6-of-19 (31.6 percent) three-point mark. Southeast made 11-of-20 (55.0 percent) free throws and UTPA hit 4-of-6 (66.7 percent) at the foul line. The Redhawks owned a 48-39 advantage in rebounding. Turnovers were nearly even as Southeast committed 16 turnovers and UTPA had 15 miscues.
Three Redhawks scored in double figures, led by Mack's 11 points. Hunter and Hackmann each scored 10. Connor King pulled down a team-high 10 rebounds while Roberts tied her career high with four assists.
SIUE 49, CLEMSON 43
DALLAS, Texas - Senior Raven Berry scored a season-high 25 points Saturday as SIUE defeated Clemson 49-43 in the consolation game of the SMU Hoops for the Cure Classic.
Berry shot 9 of 18 from the field, including a crucial three-pointer with the shot clock about to go off midway through the second half. Her 25 points was one shy of a career high 26 set against Morehead State last season.
The Cougars improved to 3-3 and sent Clemson, of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), home still winless at 0-5.
SIUE kept defense at the forefront by holding Clemson to a 28.3 percent field goal shooting night. The Tigers hit just 6 of 30 (20 percent) in the first half.
Tierny Austin was the only other Cougar scoring in double figures with 11 points.
Michaela Herrod grabbed a season-best 13 rebounds as SIUE easily won the battle of the boards.
Clemson's Danaejah Grant led the Tigers with 15 points. She shot 6 of 18 from the field and connected on two three-pointers.
Natiece Ford scored the game's first basket 21 seconds into the game. After Berry tied the game on her first layup 29 seconds later, it would be the only outright Clemson lead of the game.
With the game tied 5-5, SIUE went on a 13-2 run to take an 18-7 lead. The Cougars cruised into the locker room at halftime with a 28-17 lead.
In the second half, Clemson pulled to within one point 35-34 with 11:51 to play on a basket by Nikki Dixon.
With Clemson holding its defense together, Berry moved beyond the three-point arc to hit a trey as the shot clock elapsed with 10:58 to play. It was only the third three-pointer of Berry's collegiate career and the first since her sophomore season.
Next up for the Cougars is their second regular season tournament of the season. SIUE travels to Toledo, Ohio, for the Glass City Tournament. SIUE faces host Toledo in a 2:30 p.m. ET game next Saturday. On Sunday, SIUE faces either Southern or St. Bonaventure.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 89, BUFFALO 73
DAYTON, Ohio - Five Panthers scored in double figures for the second time in as many games and Ta’Kenya Nixon posted her first double-double of the season, leading Eastern Illinois to an 89-73 win over Buffalo at the Marriott Classic in Dayton, Ohio. EIU improves to 2-2 on the year.
Trailing the 21-19 with 9:13 left in the first half, the Panthers regained the lead with a 10-2 run to take a 29-23 advantage with 6:37 left on the clock. EIU never trailed again and took a 43-32 lead into halftime.
Katlyn Payne scored 11 consecutive points to open the second stanza, sparking an 11-0 run to put the Panthers ahead by 22 points (54-32). EIU led by double figures for the duration of the game and took its largest lead 78-53 with 7:41 left in the contest.
Nixon scored a game-high 22 points on 8-for-15 shooting to pace the Panther offense. Kelsey Wyss added 16 points while Payne added 13 points. Nxion also dished out a team-high six assists.
Defensively, the Panthers outrebounded the Bulls 49-24 led by Nixon’s game-high 10 rebounds. Mariah King also grabbed eight rebounds in the win. EIU also scored 18 points off of turnovers and had 35 fast-break points.
The Panthers connected on 48 percent of their field goal attempts, going 36-for-75 from the floor. EIU also hit 52.9 percent of its three pointers (9-for-17) and 72.7 percent of its free throw attempts (8-for-11).
Mackenzie Loesing and Sloane Walton led Buffalo with 21 points each while Valerie Majewski added 11 points. Loesing also had a team-high five rebounds.
The Panthers return to action on Sunday, Nov. 25 at 1 p.m. CT against Marriott Classic host No. 25 Dayton.
ULM 59, TENNESSEE TECH 48
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - Visiting ULM (1-4) had the lead nearly all night, thanks mostly to a huge edge in rebounds, and left town with a 59-48 non-conference victory. The winning margin grew from five to 11 in the final minute.
The Warhawks won despite being held to 34.5 percent shooting and losing the ball on 21 turnovers. Tech (2-3) never found a way to take advantage, shooting just 27 percent and losing the rebound battle, 55-32.
Jasmine Shaw led the way for ULM with 14 points and 10 rebounds, one of three Warhawks to reach double digits in the scoring column. Elexar Tugler added 12 points and seven rebounds and Alexar Tugler had 11 points and six boards. Ashleigh Simmons topped ULM in rebounds with 12 while scoring eight. Alayshia Hunter blocked five shots.
Kelie Cook was Tech’s lone double figure scorer with 10 points while Candace Parson and Jala Harris added nine each. Molly Heady scored eight.
Not much was settled through the first 20 minutes, as the score was tied six times and the lead changed hands six times but neither squad was able to establish any advantage. The largest lead of the half for ULM was five points (10-5) and Tech’s widest margin was three (23-20) points.
ULM went to the break with a two-point lead, 27-25, after Jasmine Shaw grabbed a missed shot with nine seconds to play and banked in her putback.
It was more of the same in the second half as Tech would fall behind by a basket, then catch up. That script repeated itself for most of the half, knotting the contest at 43-43 with 9:06 to go.
The Warhawks crept out to a four-point lead, 49-45, on a three-point play by Alexar Tugler with 6:31 remaining, and pushed it to five, 52-47, with 3:30 remaining.
Harris made one free throw to pull Tech within four, 52-48, but it was the last point to light the home side of the scoreboard. The Warhawks tallied the final seven points of the contest for the final margin.
One more game remains on the team’s seven-game, season-opening homestand. Alcorn State will visit town for a 7 p.m. tipoff Tuesday night
TENNESSEE STATE 57, SAMFORD 40
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Tennessee State women's basketball team played its most complete game of the season as they took down Samford 57-40 at the Samford Thanksgiving Classic on Saturday.
Kesi Hess led all scorers with 15 points, while Simone Hopes tied a career-high with 12 rebounds. The senior from Houston had a dozen boards vs. Eastern Kentucky in December 2010.
Even though neither team had more than a five point lead in the first half, TSU (2-3) controlled most of the first 20 minutes by forcing 10 Samford turnovers, including seven steals.
TSU held a 25-23 advantage at the half and limited the Bulldogs (2-2) to only eight made field goals.
A 14-2 TSU run over the last 6:17 turned a five point Lady Tigers lead into the final 17 point margin. The Tiger defense was even better in the second half holding the Bulldogs to 17 points, 26 percent shooting, as well as outrebounding Samford by 14.
Tanesha Stenson joined Hess in double-digits as the Nashville native added 11 points, one off her career-high that she set on Tuesday vs. Kansas State, along with seven rebounds.
Destiney Gaston had back-to-back solid games off the bench with nine points after having eight points and five rebounds vs. UAB on Friday.
The Lady Tigers held the Bulldogs to a season low in points and it was only the second win for TSU in 11 all-time meetings.
Samford won the Southern Conference Tournament and had a 10-2 record at home last season.
TSU heads out west next week to play Idaho on Friday and Montana on Saturday in Missoula, Mont.
WILLIAM & MARY 88, AUSTIN PEAY
SAN ANTONIO, Texas - Austin Peay State University women’s basketball team ran into a hot-shooting William & Mary squad and dropped an 88-76 decision, Saturday, in the UTSA Thanksgiving Classic at the Convocation Center.
William & Mary (2-3) seemingly couldn’t miss a shot to start the game; making 11 of its first 13 shots to build a 22-8 lead in a little over five minutes. A lackadaisical defensive effort forced Lady Govs head coach Carrie Daniels to bench four of her starters by the six-minute mark. Austin Peay played the majority of half with three freshmen and two sophomores on the court.
Austin Peay (1-5) didn’t suffer its customary shooting drought in the first half. Rather, the Lady Govs couldn’t keep pace with the Tribe. Austin Peay ultimately would close within six points as sophomore Shelby Olszewski made three-pointers on consecutive trips with less than a minute to play. Yet William & Mary responded with Kaitlyn Mathieu’s three-pointer to take a 43-34 halftime lead.
After shooting nearly 55 percent in the opening half, William & Mary was primed cool off in the second half. However, they defied that expectation by shooting an even-better 58 percent in the second half. The Tribe pushed their lead to 20 points, 64-44, at the 13:15 mark, courtesy a 14-4 run.
Austin Peay would cut the lead to 12 points several times during the final 10 minutes as junior Nicole Olszewski found her range. She made five points as part of a 7-0 run that ended with 8:11 remaining then hit back-to-back threes later in the half to get the deficit to 12 points again, 80-68, with 3:09 left. A pair of Nwokocha free-throws got APSU to its closest margin, 86-76, with 34 seconds left.
Sophomore Kristen Stainback and Nicole Olszewski each scored 13 poitns as Austin Peay’s season-best 76 points went for naught. Nwokocha added 12 points and six rebounds while Martinez grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds. The Lady Govs were held to 42.9 percent (27-of-63) shooting.
Taylor Hilton led William & Mary, which score d a season-best 88 points, with 23 points and Janine Aldridge added 22 points. The Tribe made 12 three-pointers as part of a 56 percent (32-of-57) shooting performance.
Austin Peay returns to action when it meets Vanderbilt in a 7 p.m., Wednesday in Nashville.