Southeast expects another close call vs. Tennessee Tech

The last three times Southeast Missouri State University and Tennessee Tech squared off in men's basketball, the games were decided by a total of five points -- and that probably doesn't even do justice to how close the contests were.

Both coaches don't expect anything to change tonight when Southeast (6-9, 1-3 Ohio Valley Conference) begins a crucial four-game homestand by welcoming the Eagles (9-6, 4-0) to the Show Me Center for a 7:30 p.m. tipoff.

"I expect the same thing," Southeast coach Gary Garner said. "I expect a really close game."

Said Tech coach Mike Sutton, whose team has been on the winning end of all three close calls: "They've all come down to the last shot, decided in the last couple of seconds. They've been decided by five points, but really, they've been closer than that. I don't expect anything different."

On Jan. 8 in Cookeville, Tenn., the Eagles rallied from a 15-point deficit early in the second half to clip Southeast 63-61.

The Eagles trailed 61-59 in the closing seconds when Southeast appeared to have given itself a golden opportunity to hold on when Tech star Willie Jenkins was way off on a 3-point attempt.

But the errant shot hit the backboard and bounced right to freshman forward Amadi McKenzie, who deposited the layup, was fouled and made the free throw to put Tech ahead 62-61 with 14 seconds left. Southeast had a late shot to regain the lead and another to tie after Tech hit a free throw, but both missed.

"I think we got a little unlucky there at the end," Garner said. "But we had our chances to win earlier in the game."

Last season, Tech beat Southeast by one point in Cookeville after hitting one of two free throws with 2 seconds left, and the Eagles prevailed by two points in Cape Girardeau on a shot at the buzzer.

"It doesn't get any closer than our last three games with them," Sutton said.

For Southeast, things couldn't have gotten much closer during two of its three excruciating OVC road losses. In addition to the 15-point lead that slipped away at Tech, Southeast led Tennessee State by 18 points early in the second half last Thursday only to see the Tigers pull out a 105-101 double-overtime victory.

Southeast missed 13 free throws and had 20 turnovers against the Eagles. Against the Tigers, Southeast missed 10 free throws and had 26 turnovers. For the season, Southeast is shooting a sub-par 68.6 percent from the line after never having finished under 70 percent during Garner's first seven seasons.

"We've always been able to handle the press well and it's disturbing that we've had trouble with the press," Garner said. "I don't know why we're having trouble shooting free throws. We've basically got all our good free-throw shooters back. It's not for lack of effort.

"If we had made our free throws at Tennessee Tech and Tennessee State, we probably win both of them. Against Tennessee Tech, it might not have been close if we make our free throws."

Tech, tied for first in the OVC with surprising Samford, will be playing its first conference road game tonight. The Eagles are one of the more athletic teams in the OVC, which is what concerns Garner the most.

"Their athletes are really good at every position, and they have good depth," he said. "One through 10, they hurt you more than anything with their athletes."

The Eagles are led by senior forward Jenkins, the OVC preseason player of the year who is the league's second-leading scorer at 18.4 points per game.

Jenkins had just three points in the earlier game against Southeast while primarily being hounded by guards Terrick Willoughby and Ryan Belcher, but junior forward Derek Stribling and McKenzie hurt Southeast with 20 and 18 points, respectively. Stribling averages 12.9 points and McKenzie just 6.2.

"I don't know whether Jenkins held himself to three points or we held him, although we did a really good job on him," Garner said. "But that won't happen again, where he only gets three points."

Although Southeast is just 1-3 in OVC play, all three losses have come on the road against squads picked to finish in the top half of the 11-team league.

Now Southeast begins a crucial four-game homestand that figures to go a long way toward determining the course of its season.

"Every one of these games is just really important, especially when you lose two like we did on the road," Garner said. "We could easily be 3-1, and then we'd be in as good as shape as anybody.

"But all three losses were on the road, and now if we protect our home court, we're right back in the thick of it. But we really have to do well in these next four games."