MOREHEAD, KY -- The Morehead State women's basketball team went into halftime tied 38-38 with Southeast Missouri State, but could not pull away in the second half and fell 70-63 to the Redhawks at home Thursday.
The Eagles (14-14, 9-8 OVC) had two players score in double figures, led by Veronica Charles, who had 24 points, her second straight game with 20+. Hallie Rhodes added 12 points and nine rebounds and Hannah Hicks added seven points.
Blessing King pulled down three offensive rebounds to pace an offense that racked up second chance opportunities for Morehead State, grabbing 12 boards and turning them into 13 second chance points. Morehead State was outrebounded 46-36 in the contest.
The Morehead State defense was effective at taking away the basketball in Thursday's game, forcing 17 Southeast Missouri State turnovers while committing 13. Those takeaways turned into 20 points on the offensive end of the floor. Katie Novik led the way individually for the Eagles with one steal.
How It Happened
After falling behind 5-4, Morehead State went on a 6-0 run with 7:16 left in the first quarter, culminating in a three from Melissa Secchiaroli, to take a 10-5 lead. The Eagles then lost some of that lead, but still entered the quarter break with a 19-17 advantage. Morehead State relied on its three-point shooting in the period, knocking down four shots to account for 12 of its 19 points.
Southeast Missouri State rallied to take a 31-27 lead before Morehead State went on a 7-0 run starting at the 3:51 mark in the second period, highlighted by a three from Charles, to take a 34-31 lead. The Redhawks then battled back to even it up at 38-38 heading into halftime. Morehead State was strong from deep in the period, knocking down three three-point shots to account for nine of its 19 points.
Southeast Missouri State proceeded to claw their way ahead after halftime, leaving Morehead State trailing 53-50 as the game entered the fourth quarter. Morehead State played well near the basket, scoring eight of its 12 points in the paint.
Southeast Missouri State kept widening its lead in the fourth, constructing a 66-55 advantage before Morehead State went on a 5-0 run to shrink the deficit to 66-60 with 1:55 to go in the contest. Southeast Missouri State responded and outscored the Eagles the rest of the way, ending the game with a final score of 70-63. Morehead State took advantage of its opportunities in the post, scoring eight of its 13 points in the paint.
Game Notes
» The Morehead State bench made an impact by scoring 19 points to its scoring output.
» The Morehead State defense forced 17 turnovers.
» Morehead State cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 12 offensive boards in the game.
» Veronica Charles led the Eagles with a game-high 24 points.
» Morehead State got a team-high nine rebounds from Hallie Rhodes.
Senior Day is up next for Morehead State, as the Eagles host Lindenwood Saturday at 1:00 p.m. ET.
