Redhawks try to maintain winning streak

Southeast Missouri State's Redhawks begin their final regular-season road trip armed with the confidence of having proven they can prevail away from the friendly confines of home.

They hope that will help them extend their history-making winning streak that stands at seven in a row entering tonight's pivotal Ohio Valley Conference matchup at Eastern Kentucky. The tipoff in Richmond, Ky., is set for 6:30 p.m.

The Redhawks (13-10, 8-4) have compiled their longest winning streak since the program moved to the Division I level in 1991-92, and they have also won their last three road games. Following tonight's contest, they remain in Kentucky to face Morehead State on Saturday night.

"We've won three in a row in the conference on the road, and that should give us added confidence going into this big trip," sophomore guard Terrick Willoughby said.

Added senior guard Derek Winans: "This is one of the toughest road trips in the conference. Both are tough places to play. But we've played good on the road lately and we just need to keep that up."

WIth four regular-season games left, Southeast is in a third-place tie in the 11-team OVC, and the top four finishers earn first-round home dates for the eight-team league tournament. But the Redhawks are also just one game out of first place -- and they see no reason why they can't capture the title.

"We just have to keep playing like we have been," Willoughby said. "If we do, then we can win it."

Continuing their winning streak won't be easy, as EKU (15-8, 7-5), which has lost just one home game all season, figures to be in a desperate mode after being upset by last-place Jacksonville State in its previous contest.

The Colonels are in sixth place but also still very much in the hunt for the title -- along with a first-round tournament home game -- in the scrambled conference standings.

"This is no question a huge game for a lot of reasons," Southeast coach Gary Garner said. "If we can win it, we're still in the hunt for the conference championship.

"And the way things are shaping up, there might be ties all the way from first through fourth. Since we only play them once, the winner of this game will have the tiebreaker if that comes up."

After starting out 1-4 in OVC play -- three of the losses were by a total of seven points, with two of those in overtime -- the Redhawks have rebounded and are tied for the nation's ninth-longest current winning streak.

"Their record and what they've done the last seven games speaks for itself," EKU coach Travis Ford said. "They're playing with great confidence, I'm sure. And you look at the games they've lost, they could literally be 11-1."

The Colonels feature balanced scoring. Leading the way is 6-foot junior guard Matt Witt (14.4 points per game), followed by 6-6 senior forward Michael Haney (12.8 ppg), 6-2 junior guard Zach Ingles (12.1 ppg) and 6-foot junior guard Jason McLeish (10.1 ppg).

EKU is a strong 3-point shooting team, led by 5-11 senior guard Ben Rushing (47.4 percent), Ingles (43.3 percent) and Witt (36.4) percent. The Colonels also feature one of the league's top rebounders and shot-blockers in 6-9 junior center Alonzo Hird.

"They're just a solid basketball team, good at every position," Garner said.

Southeast counters with leaders in eight of the 13 main statistical categories that the OVC tracks.

Senior forward Dainmon Gonner leads in scoring (20.2 ppg) and steals (61); senior forward Reggie Golson, fourth in scoring (16.3 ppg), is first in rebounding (9.0 rpg) and blocked shots (55) while also leading in offensive and defensive rebounding; Willoughby is first in 3-point percentage (47.1); and freshman point guard Paul Paradoski is first in assist-turnover ratio (78 turnovers, 31 assists).

"We're getting a lot of balance right now," said Garner, whose squad is averaging 75.2 points in conference games, good for second in the league. "Everybody is playing their roles so well."