COURT SESSION: DESPITE LOSS, SEMO COACH ENCOURGED WITH OPENER

It was an exciting week of Southeast Missouri State basketball with an overtime win over Albacomp of Hungary in our final exhibition game and a disappointing three-point loss at Colorado on Sunday night.

We had a really good practice at Colorado Saturday night and after that practice I knew our team was going to play hard. I felt that they were mentally ready to play and felt that they could win the game.

I had stressed for several days that we're going out there to win, not just play. I told the players I expected a very close basketball game that we would have a chance to win if they stayed together.

We did have a chance to win, but the shots just didn't fall at the end and Colorado escaped with a 62-59 win.

I'm most proud of how our team reacted as the game developed. We fell behind 6-2 at the start, but came back and led by 11 points with 8:08 remaining in the half.

Colorado then started to apply a very tough full-court press that they executed very well. It gave them momentum and they went on a 17-5 run to take the lead 28-27. Again, though, our team bounced back and regained the lead, sending us to the locker room at halftime up 35-33.

In the second half we again went up, leading by seven points with 13:40 remaining. The Buffaloes, with a very vocal crowd behind them, again rallied with a 10-3 run to go up 46-45. On the road, a lot of teams would have folded, but our guys battled back and the lead went back and forth the rest of the game.

I'm proud that each time Colorado came back, we responded. It would have been really easy for us to quit, but we kept hanging in there and had a chance to tie on the last shot of the game. I really felt that if we could have kept the game going, we would have won.

I was disappointed that we didn't handle their press very well. We had 13 turnovers, but forced 12 Colorado turnovers. They had great athletes who could really apply pressure. You know they are going to create some turnovers, but a pressing team will also give you scoring opportunities and I didn't think we got enough baskets off the press.

Our team played with great intensity throughout the game. I thought our guard play was outstanding. Cory Johnson was 5-for-9 on three-pointers and Kahn Cotton was 4-for-8. They both came up with big threes when we were responding to the Colorado runs.

Freshman Nathan Owen came off the bench in the first half when Calvert White got his second foul and played well. He had a big three in a key situation and played very hard. I have to find a way to get him more playing time because he is improving every day.

Demetrius Watson and David Montgomery both had some big baskets late in the game. Watson really gave us a lift. He was a real warrior.

Our top returning players, Bud Eley and White, both had off shooting nights, going a combined 4-21 from the field. They both played very hard and did a good job on the boards. If you had told me before the game that Eley and White would combine for only 10 points, I would have thought we would have lost by 20. Our team stayed together, though, and we took Colorado right to the wire.

I was proud of the team's effort and the way they hung together at Colorado, but we can't accept losing. We have to come back to the practice floor this week with a determination to get better.

I continue to be encouraged by our fan support. We had good crowds for our two exhibition games. In fact, we averaged more fans for our exhibition games than Colorado did.

We hope the attendance will continue to grow as the home season begins Friday night with Central Methodist. It will be the official beginning of the Union Planters Bank Basketball Extravaganza and I would again like to thank Charles Daniel and Union Planters Bank for their continued generous support of our program.

This will be the biggest game on the schedule for Central Methodist and they will come to the Show Me Center excited and ready to play. We have to be ready to answer the challenge.

Gary Garner is the head men's basketball coach at Southeast Missouri State University