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SportsFebruary 17, 2007

Terrick Willoughby has experienced good times and bad times -- probably more of the latter, because of the lack of team success -- during his college basketball career. But as the Southeast Missouri State senior guard prepares for his final home game, he says he wouldn't change a thing...

Southeast Missourian file (Senior guard Terrick Willoughby has started 78 games in his four-year career at Southeast Missouri State.  Willoughby will be making his final Show Me Center appearance tonight.)
Southeast Missourian file (Senior guard Terrick Willoughby has started 78 games in his four-year career at Southeast Missouri State. Willoughby will be making his final Show Me Center appearance tonight.)

~ Terrick Willoughby and Tyrell White will play their final home games tonight.

Terrick Willoughby has experienced good times and bad times -- probably more of the latter, because of the lack of team success -- during his college basketball career.

But as the Southeast Missouri State senior guard prepares for his final home game, he says he wouldn't change a thing.

Willoughby and the Redhawks (10-17) play Louisiana Tech (8-17) at 7:30 p.m. tonight at the Show Me Center as part of the BracketBusters series. He and fellow senior Tyrell White will be honored prior to tipoff.

"I've had a great time and I wouldn't do anything different," said Willoughby, the only Southeast senior who has been in the program four years (White joined the team last year from junior college).

"It's been up and down, but the reality is, you can't appreciate anything unless you've been through down times," Willoughby added. "There can't always be good times."

Willoughby's career at Southeast -- he has been at least a part-time starter since his freshman season -- has been marked by a smooth outside shooting stroke and an engaging personality that has endeared him to local fans.

"He's a great kid, and he's been a cornerstone of this program the last four years," Southeast first-year coach Scott Edgar said. "My only disappointment is I've only been with him one year.

"Terrick has been a great student-athlete, a great representative of Southeast Missouri State."

A native of Biloxi, Miss., the 6-foot-4 Willoughby has never averaged as many as 10 points per game in a season for the Redhawks, but he has consistently been among the Ohio Valley Conference's top 3-point shooters.

Willoughby, carrying a 7.8 scoring average this year, ranks second in the OVC in 3-point accuracy at 41.9 percent (39 of 93).

Willoughby was the second-leading scorer for the Redhawks last season, averaging 9.8 points per game while hitting 38 percent from 3-point range.

As a sophomore, Willoughby was second in the OVC in 3-point shooting at 43 percent and averaged 9.8 points.

Willoughby also started 11 games as a freshman, averaging 3.3 points.

Willoughby, who has started 78 games at Southeast, ranks No. 3 in career 3-pointers made at Southeast with 163.

"I think it's been a great career," Willoughby said. "And it's not over."

That is a reference to potential success in the OVC tournament for the Redhawks, who are in sixth place in the 11-team conference at 8-10 with two road games remaining.

Team success has pretty much eluded Willoughby during his time at Southeast, as the Redhawks failed to make the OVC tournament two of the past three years, which led to Gary Garner's dismissal as coach.

Southeast was 11-16 in Willoughby's freshman season and 7-20 last year, with a 15-14 record mixed in two seasons ago, when the Redhawks made the OVC tournament semifinals.

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"We haven't done nearly as well as we hoped to the last few years, but there's a lot of basketball left," Willoughby said. "We can do really well in the tournament."

Southeast has not yet clinched a spot in the eight-team conference tournament, but the Redhawks have a good chance of getting in.

Regardless of how the rest of the year goes for the Redhawks, Willoughby believes the program is in good hands with Edgar.

"He's a great coach," Willoughby said. "Before it's all said and done, this will be a great program. The OVC championship will eventually come through SEMO, I guarantee that."

That may or may not happen this year, but whenever the season does end, Willoughby hopes to put his degree in electronic and computer technology -- he is scheduled to graduate in December -- to good use.

"I'll probably work in industry, with electronic components involved," he said. "I just love electronics. I've always been fascinated with how things work."

As for his final home appearance tonight, Willoughby was asked if he expects to get emotional when he is introduced to Southeast fans for the last time.

"I don't know if I would use emotional," he said, smiling. "But this has been a great place to play."

Senior day special

White has not experienced nearly the individual success of Willoughby -- he has scored just 54 points in two seasons since transferring from junior college -- but he is coming off a six-point performance at Eastern Illinois that tied his career high.

White, a center who saw little action for most of his Southeast career, will start his third straight game tonight in place of Mike Rembert, who is out with a knee injury.

"It would be great to send Terrick and Tyrell out with a win," Edgar said.

Noteworthy

  • Louisiana Tech, which is sixth in the nine-team Western Athletic Conference with a 6-7 record, has two double-figure scorers in senior guard Trey McDowell (13.3 ppg) and senior forward Chad McKenzie (13 ppg).

The Bulldogs start four seniors and a sophomore.

  • Louisiana Tech reserve sophomore forward Adrian Rogers, who averages one point per game, is the son of a former Southeast player.

Larry Rogers, who lives in Houston, played for Southeast during the 1974-75 season.

  • Southeast has set a school record for 3-pointers made and attempted. The Redhawks are 223 of 668 from beyond the arc.

The old 3-point records were 215 made (1988-89) and 575 attempted (1997-98).

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