Sangamon Sun

Lowis and Thatha Collect Career Highs in Points, Cougars Downed by Golden Eagles

 SIUE women's basketball led by one after the opening quarter and trailed by three at halftime, but a 16-2 run by Tennessee Tech in the third put the game out of reach as the Golden Eagles downed the Cougars 85-70 on Thursday night at First Community Arena.

SIUE drops to 1-11 overall and 0-1 in Ohio Valley Conference play. Tennessee Tech improves to 7-5 and 1-0.

The Cougars trailed for the majority of the first, but a 7-2 scoring run to conclude the opening quarter allowed SIUE to take its first lead of the night at 22-21 since taking the opening bucket. SIUE shot 56 percent (9-16) in the opening frame and was 3-5 at the line. Senior forward Ajulu Thatha recorded half the Cougars' total with 11. She shot 5-5 in the first quarter and was 1-1 at the free-throw line. Thatha also grabbed six rebounds in the first quarter.

The Golden Eagles regained their momentum in the second after grabbing the opening basket and led for the entire quarter, outscoring the Cougars 20-16 for a three-point lead at the break. After a scoreless first, sophomore guard Sofie Lowis collected seven points in the second while freshman forward Destine Duckworth added six rebounds.

SIUE and Tennessee Tech both shot 55 percent in the opening half. The Cougars outrebounded Tennessee Tech 17-13, but the Golden Eagles scored 11 points off 10 SIUE turnovers.

Tennessee Tech flipped a switch in the second half after a 16-2 run over four minutes played midway through the third. The Golden Eagles outscored SIUE 27-12 in the quarter and shot 52 percent (12-23) while holding the Cougars to just 35 percent (5-14). Lowis added to her points total in the quarter, leading the Cougars with five while Thatha added two rebounds.

"Those runs are what good teams do. We have to have an answer for it," said Smith. "We tried to fight back but couldn't get over that hump."

SIUE outscored Tennessee Tech 20-17 in the final quarter, led by Lowis with 10. She was 2-3 from behind the arc and 4-4 at the free-throw line in the fourth. The Cougars cut their deficit to 13, but the Golden Eagles would hold on for the victory.

The Cougars finished the contest shooting 45 percent (26-58) and 29 percent (4-14) from beyond the arc. SIUE converted on 58 percent (14-24) of its free throws.

Lowis finished the contest with a career-high 22 points for the third 20-point game of her career. She shot 7-19 from the floor and was 5-7 at the free-throw line. She also led SIUE with two steals.

"She brings aggressiveness and that's what we need,", added Smith on Lowis.

Thatha put together her third double-double of the season, finishing with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Her 20 points marked a career high. Her double-figure points outing also marks the 22nd of her career and her seventh double-digit rebounding effort.

"She brought a lot of energy and life for us," said Smith on Thatha. "We just need to keep her out of foul trouble and have her on the court."

Duckworth collected a season-best seven rebounds. Macy Silvey and Molly Sheehan led the Cougars with three assists each. Mikayla Kinnard added SIUE's lone block.

Tennessee Tech had five players score in double-figures, led by Maaliya Owens and Reghan Grimes with 16 apiece. Peyton Carter led the rebounding efforts for the Golden Eagles with eight while Jada Guinn led the contest with four steals.

"All around, we need to do a better job defending," Head Coach Samantha Quigley Smith said. "It's difficult to win a game giving up 85 points. We need to keep people in front of us and defend."

SIUE continues its conference slate on the road at Southeast Missouri on Saturday, Dec. 31. Tip-off is scheduled for noon and will be streamed on ESPN+.

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