COLLEGE BASKETBALL: SOUTHEAST MEN TRAVEL SOUTH TO FACE DEVILS

ITTA BENA, Miss. -- Southeast Missouri State University's men's basketball team has won four of its first five games this season -- but coach Gary Garner knows it will take an extra special effort to make it five out of six tonight.

That's because the Indians will have their first true road game when they face Mississippi Valley State in a 7 p.m. tipoff at Harrison Arena.

MVSU, which has appeared in several NCAA tournaments but is probably best known as the school that produced NFL great Jerry Rice, is just 1-2, but the Delta Devils had an impressive performance during their first home game of the season, a two-point win over Drake Saturday night.

"It's going to be a tough game. It's a tough place to play and a tough atmosphere," said Garner. "Going on the road and winning in college basketball is never easy and we're going to have to play really well to win."

Southeast has played three games away from home so far, but those were on a neutral floor in Kansas City last weekend during the Energia Systems Tournament.

"It's our first real road game and I'm anxious to see how we respond," Garner said. "The first road game is really important. You win that first road game, then it gives you a lot of confidence for the next one."

The Delta Devils went just 7-21 last season, but they returned their top seven players and are picked to be among the upper level of teams in the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

Veteran MVSU coach Lafayette Stribling said he has high hopes for the Delta Devils this year -- assuming they eventually become healthy, which they are not right now.

In fact, said Stribling, the Delta Devils are banged up, with some of their top players seeing limited action so far because of injuries.

"We have had a lot of injuries. We have not gotten everybody well to find out what kind of a team we have," said Stribling. "When we get everybody healthy, we should do all right."

MVSU's top player is 6-foot-3 senior guard Dewayne Jefferson, who is averaging 16 points per game this season after scoring nearly 18 points a contest as a junior.

Henry Jordan, a 6-10 senior center who has been bothered some by knee problems, is still contributing 12.7 points per game and leads the team in blocked shots with seven.

Jason Pruitt, a 6-2 junior guard, is next in scoring but he has been limited to just 54 minutes so far because of a cracked pelvis.

"We highly depend on him, but we don't know if we'll have him (tonight)," Stribling said. "We hope he'll be ready for conference play."

Ashley Robinson, a 5-9 junior guard, is the Delta Devils' top playmaker at 5.7 assists per game.

Derrick McInnis, a 6-11 senior center/forward who was expected to form a strong inside tandem with Jordan, has also been banged up and has played just 28 minutes so far.

Taking all the injuries into account, Stribling said he hopes the Delta Devils will be able to stay with the Indians. He figures an enthusiastic home crowd will help.

"Our fans support us. We'll have a good crowd," he said. "I understand SEMO has a good basketball team. I know they have good guards. I hope we can entertain them, but I don't know with all those injuries."

Injuries or not, Garner knows the Delta Devils will give Southeast some fits with their hectic style of play.

"They want to press and run and shoot the ball quick," he said. "We haven't handled the press real well yet, so I'm sure they're going to try and get after us pretty good."

With a home game next Tuesday against regional rival Southern Illinois looming on the horizon, Garner knows a victory tonight would set the Indians up well entering that contest with the tough Salukis, who have gotten off to a 3-0 start and have already claimed impressive wins over Long Beach State, St. Louis and Ball State.

"We have to get really geared up for this basketball game, then we'll have a few days to rest up and prepare for what will be a really tough SIU team," said Garner. "But this is not going to be an easy game. They never are on the road."