Southern Miss
Southeast Missouri State
Women's Basketball Takes Down Southeast Missouri State, 64-47
12/13/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 13, 2008
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Pauline Love recorded her sixth double-double of the season, tallying a game-high 19 points to go with 17 rebounds in leading Southern Miss past Southeast Missouri State, 64-47, in women's basketball action Saturday.
"I believe this is the most complete game we've played all year," coach Joye Lee-McNelis said. "I always look forward to this time of the year because finals are over and books are closed and you are able to focus on basketball. Again, I'm pleased with the level of intensity we came out with. We improved in taking care of the basketball, on-ball defense and our offensive flow was much better."
Juniors Candace Rucker and Stephanie Helgeson chipped in 16 points apiece.
"We had several players make plays for us tonight," McNelis said. "Pauline Love was all over the glass, she totally dominated every aspect. She played with a high level of intensity and an attack mentality. She took the ball from coast to coast and we have not seen her do that this year.
"Candace came into the game in the first half and totally took the game in her hands and changed the whole complexity of the game," said McNelis. "That segment helped us win the game and that was the turning point of the game. She was our difference maker in coming off the bench. Stephanie Helgeson also made some plays tonight. Our point guard play was solid with all three contributing in positive ways."
Lauren Sharpe and Tarina Nixon led SE Missouri State (4-5, 0-2) with 14 points each.
Southern Miss (5-4) opened the game scoring the first four points, eventually leading by six, 8-2, in the first five minutes of the game. SEMO, then, scored five quick points to cut the lead to one, 8-7. Then entered Rucker, who promptly gave the Lady Eagles a boast, sparking a 9-2 run to give Southern Miss a 17-9 lead. That lead didn't last long, as the Redhawks countered with a 7-0 run, getting with a point again, 17-16.
Over the next three minutes, both teams traded baskets until Rucker and Love combined for seven points to give the Lady Eagles an eight-point advantage at the 2:59 mark. Southern Miss led 32-24 at the break.
Rucker continued her assault, scoring the first two points of the half to give Southern Miss its first double-digit lead of the game. The Redhawks cut the lead to six points on two occasions with the last coming at the 14:16 mark, 36-30, before the Lady Eagles ran off 10 unanswered points in less than two minutes.
Southern Miss led by as many as 21 points, 55-34, with 9:21 remaining. SEMO got within 17 points, 56-39, with five minutes to go, but that was as close as the Redhawks would get for the remainder of the game.
The Lady Eagles finished the game shooting 41 percent from the field and 76.9 percent from the line, while having a season-low 14 turnovers.
Southern Miss returns to action, Dec. 16, when the Lady Eagles host in-state rival Mississippi State at 7 p.m., in Reed Green Coliseum.
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