Southeast tries to keep JSU in cellar

Jacksonville State's Mike LaPlante says it's remarkable just how happy his fellow Ohio Valley Conference basketball coaches have been to see him so far this season.

That's what a winless league record will do for a coach's popularity.

"It's been amazing. One of the things I didn't realize is how popular and well liked I was within the league," LaPlante said with a laugh. "I see coaches just smiling, they're so happy to see me."

Southeast Missouri State's Gary Garner hopes that by late tonight he joins the group of coaches elated to see LaPlante and that the Redhawks are not the Gamecocks' initial OVC victim.

Southeast (7-10, 2-4) and JSU (4-14, 0-6) square off at 7:30 p.m. at the Show Me Center in the third leg of the Redhawks' four-game homestand. The Gamecocks from Alabama have suffered 12 consecutive losses overall.

"That's what's scary, they've lost 12 in a row, but they're capable of beating anybody in the league, and you just know they're going to beat somebody," Garner said. "We just hope it's not us."

With just one returning starter from last year's team that went 14-14 and tied for fifth in the league at 7-9 during its initial OVC campaign, the Gamecocks were not expected to be world-beaters this year, although they were picked tied for seventh with Southeast in the league's preseason poll.

But, partly because of some injuries that have hit their front line, the Gamecocks sit dead last in the 11-team OVC, although three of their six league losses have been by six points or less, including an overtime setback to first-place Samford.

"We've just been struggling, but the big thing, I can't complain about the team, they have worked as hard as they possibly can," LaPlante said. "Throughout all the adversity, they have stayed together.

"We understand we are depleted, but we have got to find a way to break through with the team we've got."

Because of injuries, JSU is basically using a four-guard lineup, with its tallest starter standing 6 feet 6 inches.

"We play very small. It's hit and miss," LaPlante said. "If we're hitting shots we'll have a good chance; if we're not, we have to find a way defensively."

That small lineup can also make the Gamecocks dangerous, said Garner, because they have several capable 3-point shooters, led by 6-3 junior guard Anthony Wilson, who is hitting 45.5 percent of his long-range attempts.

JSU also features arguably the OVC's top point guard in 6-0 junior Walker Russell, the squad's lone returning starter. Russell, averaging a team-leading 14.1 points per game, led the league in assists last year and is again first this season at 7.4 per contest.

The Gamecocks' only other player scoring in double figures is 6-4 junior guard B.J. Spencer (11.5 ppg).

"Russell might be the best point guard in the league, and they've got some guys who can really shoot the 3," Garner said. "They don't really have an inside game, but their perimeter guys are real scary. And they really have a lot of good athletes."

The Redhawks will attempt to continue the momentum built through Saturday's 65-52 win over Austin Peay that followed two excruciating losses, one in overtime and one in double-overtime.

"We've lost some tough games, but we've never given up on ourselves," senior forward Reggie Golson said. "We just need to keep winning."

Golson ranks third in the OVC in scoring (16.9 ppg), third in field-goal percentage (.558), first in rebounding (8.8 rpg) and first in blocked shots (42).

Senior forward Dainmon Gonner is first in the league in scoring (20.6 ppg) and steals (40), while freshman point guard Paul Paradoski leads the OVC in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.97, on 57 assists and 29 turnovers).

"We still think we can make a lot of noise in the OVC," Gonner said. "We just need to put a streak together."

Garner -- whose team lost at JSU 79-64 last year in the only meeting between the squads -- knows Southeast can ill afford to lose another home game, which means tonight's contest and Saturday's matchup with Samford are crucial.

"We've got to protect our home court the rest of the year," Garner said. "We really need to win both of these, to get to the .500 level in the league. If we can get to that, then we can say maybe we can do something."