SE Missouri defeats St Xavier 88-65
St Xavier Dominates at SE Missouri, 88-65 in Statement Win
The Show Me Center was rocking on Saturday night as the Southeast Missouri State Redhawks hosted their arch-rival, St Xavier University. The Hawks came into this non-conference matchup looking to make a statement, but what unfolded was a dominating performance by the home team.
The Redhawks took control of the game early, building a 46-22 halftime lead that would prove insurmountable for the visiting team. By the end of the night, St Xavier had fallen behind by 23 points, with Southeast Missouri's largest margin of victory being 33 points in the fourth quarter.
SE Missouri's dominant performance was led by senior Marqueas Bell, who notched 19 points, six rebounds, three assists, and one steal. Bell's all-around effort helped the Redhawks control the paint and limit St Xavier's opportunities to get easy baskets.
On the other side, St Xavier struggled from beyond the arc, shooting just 8-24 from three-point range (33.0%). The Hawks' inability to stretch the floor was further exacerbated by their poor free throw shooting, where they converted just 11 of 19 attempts at the line (58.0%).
The final box score reflected the significant difference in team performance: Southeast Missouri shot 51.0% from the field and 72.0% from the free throw line, while St Xavier managed only 39.0% shooting and 58.0%.
This non-conference matchup may not have had any significant implications for conference standings, but it was a statement win by SE Missouri nonetheless.
Advanced Statistics:
* eFG%: Southeast Missouri (57.4%), St Xavier (45.8%)
* True Shooting%: Southeast Missouri (61.1%), St Xavier (48.2%)
* Four Factors:
+ Points in Paint: 46 (SEMO), 28 (STX)
+ Fast Break Points: 20 (SEMO), 14 (STX)
+ Points off Turnovers: 24 (SEMO), 15 (STX)
In the end, Southeast Missouri's balanced performance and stifling defense proved too much for St Xavier to handle. The Redhawks' convincing win sets them up nicely for the remainder of their non-conference schedule.