Harris directed Indians to their only title

Southeast Missouri State University has fielded some outstanding basketball teams over the years, but only one ever brought home a national championship.

That was the 1942-43 squad. Under the direction of coach C.P. Harris, the group's 19-6 season was capped by a 34-32 victory over fellow Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association opponent Northwest Missouri State in the NAIA finals in Kansas City, Mo.

Southeast had defeated Northwest Missouri State in the previous two regular-season meetings to capture the MIAA title, but the third matchup between the teams proved to be the most exciting with the Indians pulling away in the game's final seconds.

Junior guard Jack Behrens drained a shot at the top of the key with just seven seconds remaining to give the Indians the national title.

The championship game capped a comeback season for the Indians. They lost their first four games before winning 19 of their last 21 contests while going 8-0 in MIAA play.

On the way to the national crown, the Indians knocked off some of the country's top small college programs of that era, with wins over Dakota Wesleyan, Westminster College, East Washington State and Murray State. Southeast's average margin of victory in the postseason was 10.6 points per game.

All five Southeast starters were named to either the first or second all-conference teams. Behrens, Jack Russell and Carl "Ben" Bidewell made the first team while Rolla Anderson and Jack Klosterman made the second team. Russell and Klosterman went on to earn All-American honors.

The squad was inducted into the Southeast Athletic Hall of Fame in 2002.