Redhawks fall to UT Martin despite strong performances from freshmen duo

A standout night from freshman center Ainaya Wiliams wasn’t enough to lift Southeast Missouri Women’s Basketball (4-16, 2-9 OVC) past UT Martin (8-14, 5-6 OVC) on Thursday, as the Redhawks fell 78-54 at the Show Me Center.

Williams filled the stat sheet with 16 points, nine rebounds, and a season-high eight blocks, coming just shy of a triple-double.

“I think it’s very important for my team, because we don’t have a lot of post players,” Williams said. “I know I have a very important role on this team, so I’m just working on my game and my inner self which helps me on the court and helps my team which is all I want.”

Fellow freshman Zoe Best led all SEMO scorers with 17 points, marking another successful night for the team’s leading scorer.

Despite their efforts, SEMO struggled to find consistency on offense, shooting 38.9% from the field, 25% from the three-point range (5-20), and 70% from the free-throw line (7-10).

The Redhawks came out strong, fueled by an 8-2 run to open the game, sparked by a tough and-one finish from senior guard Lexi McCully, who later led SEMO with five assists.

The momentum carried into a thrilling end to the first quarter when freshman guard Jariyah Williamson drilled a half-court buzzer beater, giving SEMO a 14-11 lead after 10 minutes.

However, the second quarter proved to be the turning point. UT Martin capitalized on a four-minute SEMO scoring drought, exploding for a 14-0 run to seize control. A late and-one from Skyler Barnes briefly trimmed the deficit, but the Skyhawks took a 33-21 advantage into halftime.

Despite SEMO’s defensive efforts, UTM controlled the pace in the second half, getting to the free-throw line at will. The Skyhawks outscored the Redhawks 45-33 after the break, never allowing SEMO to mount a serious comeback.

The Redhawks return to the Show Me Center on Saturday, Feb. 1 to take on Tennessee State at 1:30 p.m.