MOREHEAD, Ky. – SIUE women's basketball opened Saturday's matchup at Morehead State with a 16-2 run and never looked back in a 77-52 rout at Johnson Arena.
SIUE improved to 7-10 overall and 3-3 in the Ohio Valley Conference. Morehead State dropped its 13th straight game and is now 1-14 overall as well as 0-5 in the OVC. The Cougars will have less than 48 hours to return home and prepare for Monday's matchup against Murray State. Game time is 5:30 p.m. at First Community Arena.
Mikayla Kinnard led the SIUE charge with 14 points on a 6-of-10 shooting performance. She added a game-high six assists.
"Our pressure was great for us early on," said SIUE Head Coach Samantha Quigley Smith. "We also found a bit of a stretch in third going into the fourth period. We got Mikayla going. She was aggressive."
Kelsie Williams also stepped up for a season-high 11 points off the bench. She shot 5 of 9 from the field.
"When we have an inside threat like that, it's really going to make us a better team all together," said Smith.
SIUE post player Ajulu Thatha pulled down nine rebounds for the Cougars, also a season high.
Jada Claude led Morehead State in scoring with 12 points as the Cougars held the Eagles to 19 of 59 shooting from the field (32.2 percent). Morehead State was 1 of 17 from three-point range (5.9 percent).
SIUE was able to get significant minutes for a number of players. Madison Webb scored six points in nine minutes. Masyn McWilliams scored six points in 17 minutes. And freshman Tyler Butler scored her first collegiate points Saturday, finishing with four points in three minutes played.
The Cougars easily won the battle on the boards 45-33. That included 16 offensive rebounds.
"That got us so many second-chance opportunities," said Smith. The Cougars had 13 points off the offensive glass.
