CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Southeast Missouri shot 51 percent from the field and 53 from three-point range in a 77-62 victory over SIUE in women's college basketball action at the Show Me Center.

LaTrese Saine scored a career-high 27 points, 15 rebounds and seven blocks for the Redhawks, which improved to 9-5 overall and 7-2 in the Ohio Valley Conference. Mikayla Kinnard led four SIUE players in double figures with 14 points as the Cougars dropped to 5-10 overall and 2-8 in the OVC.

In the fourth of five straight road contests for the Cougars, SIUE kept it close in the first half. SEMO was up by six with two minutes to go before halftime but added two more field goals, including a steal and a layup with two seconds left from Roshala Scott for a 33-23 lead at the break.

SIUE, which did not score for the final 4.5 minutes of the second quarter, committed 13 turnovers in the first half and turned it around with just two in the second half.

"I thought we did a great job in the second half of taking care of the basketball," said SIUE Head Coach Paula Buscher.

Both teams punched up the offense in the second half. SEMO hit 4 of 5 three-pointers in the third period to take an 18-point lead into the fourth quarter. The Redhawks hit 30 of 59 from the field overall and 8 of 15 from three-point range.

With Saine leading the way, Tesia Thompson added 16 points while Sophie Bussard and Terri Smith added 13 and 12, respectively.

"I think she (Saine) has improved immensely. She is an athlete who is doing a great job scoring and going after rebounds," said Buscher.

SIUE had a balanced scoring attack. Allie Troeckler notched her eighth double-digit scoring effort of the season with 11 points. Ajulu Thatha and Sara Majorosova provided 10 each.

"There were some times we did some great things," said Buscher. "We just have to put together that full 40 minutes."

The Cougars shot 35 percent from the field as a team. The two best rebounding teams in the OVC battled with SEMO edging the Cougars 42-34 although SIUE pulled down 19 offensive boards.

The SIUE road trip ends Saturday with a 1 p.m. contest at UT Martin.