Southeast tries to curb its generosity

It didn't take Southeast Missouri State University coach Gary Garner long to determine what cost his team the most during Thursday's 69-66 home loss to Montana.

"The turnovers really hurt us," Garner said.

On a night that saw Southeast do plenty well against the physical Grizzlies, the 19 turnovers against a squad that really doesn't press loomed large. And Montana was able to convert those miscues into 23 points as Southeast fell to 2-4.

"A lot of them were unforced, where we just threw the ball away. They really didn't press us, and in that kind of game, you should have maybe 10 or 11 turnovers," Garner said. "Our kids played hard and fought, but you can't turn the ball over like that against a good team."

Southeast is averaging just under 18 turnovers per game this year, although that figure is skewed a bit by 29 turnovers during a loss at Western Kentucky. Last year, Southeast had the fewest turnovers in the Ohio Valley Conference, averaging a little more than 12 per contest.

"We're turning it over too many times," said senior forward Dainmon Gonner, Southeast's leading scorer at 21.3 points per game. "We can't have all those turnovers."

Southeast will look to take care of the ball better tonight when Central Methodist University (8-4), an NAIA team from Fayette, Mo., visits the Show Me Center. It will be Military Night, with all military personnel and families admitted free for the 7:30 p.m. tipoff.

Garner believes Southeast would have probably been able to squeeze out a victory Thursday with better ball security. That's because Southeast, a poor rebounding team all season, outrebounded Montana 33-24, attempted 10 more free throws than the Grizzlies and shot a respectable 47.1 percent.

"It was a game we could have won," Garner said.

Southeast nearly forced overtime as it was, but Gonner's open 3-point attempt at the buzzer was an airball. Southeast trailed by 12 points with just over five minutes remaining. In its previous game, Southeast erased a 17-point second-half deficit to beat South Dakota State on Mike Nelke's 3-pointer at the buzzer.

"It's not easy getting down and coming back, but that's the way we've been playing lately," Gonner said.

Garner said that Nelke, a senior point guard who made his first start of the season against Montana, will likely get the nod again tonight.

Nelke missed about 15 minutes of the second half Thursday after taking a charge that resulted in a bruised thigh and a cut mouth that required three stitches. Bothered by a left wrist injury that limited his play in the first few games, MRI results Friday showed a small fracture, but Nelke will continue to play.

Another senior guard, Derek Winans -- Southeast's top scorer the last three years who is the OVC's active career scoring leader -- has just five points in the last two games after missing the first four contests with a stress fracture. Winans has played a total of 35 minutes as he continues to round into form.

"People expected Derek to come out and pick up right where he left off last year, but he's just not comfortable yet," Garner said. "It's going to take some time. We've said all along that hopefully we'll have him back to where he was by conference play."

Another player, junior center Waylon Francis, has had his playing time limited lately after suffering a dislocated finger on his left hand during a practice. Junior center Ketshner Guerrier went most of the way Thursday and responded with a career-high 11 points.

"A lot of us have been hurt, but we don't want to blame it on that. We still should be winning games," said Gonner of Southeast's start that has featured the four losses against teams with a combined 18-6 record. Three of the defeats were by a total of 11 points.

Southeast figures to get well tonight against a lower-division squad, although Central Methodist is averaging nearly 85 points per game and shoots close to 38 percent from 3-point range. Coach Jeff Sherman, in his 20th season with the Eagles, has won 360 games.

Doug Davidson, a 6-foot-4 senior swingman, leads four Eagles in double figures with 15.7 points per game. Central Methodist's tallest player stands 6-6.

"We're a rebuilding team. We're not very big and physical, but I think we're a dangerous team. We shoot the ball well on a given night," Sherman said. "I know our players will be excited about playing in a nice place, in a nice atmosphere.

"We've played a Division I team for the past seven, eight years. We don't have anything to lose. We're realistic, but I do feel we can compete."

Southeast's mission tonight will be to pick up a victory and build some momentum for next Saturday's matchup with powerhouse Southern Illinois that ends a four-game homestand.

"We have to come out strong, get this win and get ready for SIU," said senior forward Reggie Golson, who had 14 points and 14 rebounds against Montana.