Sports Zone Feb. 24, 2024: UT Martin-SEMO basketball doubleheader, SEMO baseball hosts St. Thomas in middle two games of series

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (KBSI) – The Southeast Missouri State basketball teams hosted UT Martin at the Show Me Center on Saturday.

On the women’s side, SEMO was clinging on to that 8th spot in the Ohio Valley Conference standings, but they are in need of some wins down the stretch to ensure a bid to the OVC tournament. 

We jump right to crunch time, a1:40 left in the fourth quarter, UT Martin up by four, the Skyhawks’ Kenly McCarn made what seemed like a dagger 3 to extend the lead to seven, but SEMO came right back.

Kiyley Flowers fired a skip pass right into the shooting pocket of Indiya Bowen, and Bowen sank the trifecta to cut the lead back to four. 

And then things would get even tighter. 

With UT Martin inbounding up by two with 22 seconds left, Flowers stole the inbounds pass and took it the length of the floor to lay it in and tie the game, but then SEMO’s defense got a little too aggressive. Daejah Richmond fouled McCarn, and she made both free throws to give the Skyhawks a three-point lead they would not relinquish, as they escape with a 64-61 win and the season sweep of SEMO. 

On the men’s side, three seniors were honored before the game, Aquan Smart, Josh Earley, and Dylan Branson, and it was Earley shining in the opening minutes for SEMO. He had buckets on back-to-back possessions to give the Redhawks four-point lead right out of the gates, but this UT Martin squad is tough. 

In a tie game with 13:15 to go in the first half, Jacob Crews gave the Skyhawks a 12-9 lead as he buried the triple. 

Then it was Jordan Sears with a beautiful pocket pass to Issa Muhammad for the deuce to extend the lead to five. 

And despite a valiant effort from SEMO on Senior Day, the Skyhawks improve to 12-4 in conference play with an 82-72 win at the Show-Me Center. 

Across town on the diamond at Capaha Field, SEMO hosted St. Thomas in a doubleheader and the middle games of a weekend series. 

The Redhawks trailed 3-0 entering the bottom of the 7th and final inning of game one of the day, but for the second game in a row, they rallied to make things difficult for the Tommies. 

Josh Cameron breathed life into the Redhawks comeback chances with a solo shot onto the party deck in right field. 

Two batters later, Redhawks down to their last out, Ben Palmer homered to left center to make it a 3-2 game and bring the potential tying run to the plate. 

With the Redhawks down to their last breath, Peyton Leeper grounded out to second, and the Redhawks comeback effort came up one run short.

The Tommies would also win game two of the double header but in much more convincing fashion, 12-3.