SE Falls to No. 4 FHSU in Season Opener

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – Briley Moon led all scorers with 26 points in the contest, but it was not enough to lift Southeastern past No. 4 Ft. Hays State on Friday night in the season opener at the Hillyard Women's Basketball Tip-Off Classic in St. Joseph, Mo.
 
The loss gets the Savage Storm off to an 0-1 start on the year with a chance to even that record on Saturday when it takes on Missouri Western State at 3:30 p.m.
 
Moon finished the contest hitting 10-of-23 from the floor with four three pointers on her way to a game-high 26 points, while also hauling in a team-best seven rebounds and matching a team-high in assists with four.
 
Kamryn Cantwell was SE's only other double-digit scorer with 15 points on the night, while Chandler Kemp finished with eight, with Casey Monk and Kentoya Woods turning in four apiece.
 
Moon's seven rebounds led the way on the boards, with Kemp and Lauren Beason next in line with four each.
 
Moon and Kemp led the way in assists with four apiece.
 
SE got off to a slow start as FHSU reeled off a 13-4 run to open the game before a Moon three at the 4:34 mark of the first quarter slowed the momentum.
 
The Tiger lead would stretch back to nine points, reaching 25-16 at the end of one quarter.
 
SE would score first in the second quarter with a Moon layup, but FHSU would maintain its lead and extend it to 13 points at 39-26 with 2:24 to go in the half.
 
Southeastern would finish he half on a flurry led by Moon who would score eight points over the final two minutes, helping the Storm finish the half on a 10-4 run, closing the halftime score to 43-36 on a Moon buzzer beater to end the half.
 
SE would cut the deficit to five points on another Moon bucket to start the second half and a Kemp jumper at the 7:54 mark would again close it to five points at 45-40.
 
A 12-2 FHSU run would stretch the Tiger lead out to 57-42, but SE would trim the deficit back down to single digits, with a Grace Alverson three making the score 59-51 with 2:04 to go in the third.
 
Fort Hays State would stretch its advantage to 67-53 at the end of the third quarter.
 
Southeastern would get to within 11 on a Cantwell layup with 3:20 to play in the fourth at 73-62, but FHSU would finish he game scoring eight of the final 11 points to set the final at 81-65.