Garner hopeful for rest of year

Southeast Missouri State University's Indians could not put a halt to the program's worst start since the 1950-51 season, but Saturday's performance at Southern Illinois at least gave coach Gary Garner and his squad some optimism for the rest of the campaign.

The Indians played arguably their best overall game of the season against the potent Salukis, who had to fend off a second-half Southeast charge to post a 92-80 victory.

Most encouraging to Garner was the fact the Indians committed a season-low seven turnovers -- including only one in the second half -- against a team that has been playing exceptionally strong defense in building a 9-2 record. Southeast had averaged 17 turnovers per game.

"That was our biggest emphasis," said Garner regarding the turnover situation. "I preached till I was blue in the face about taking care of the basketball because SIU is such a good defensive team.

"If we hadn't taken care of the basketball, the game could have really gotten away from us. But to only have one turnover in the second half, and seven for the game, I'm really proud of the guys."

But despite that exceptionally low turnover total, the Indians' record still sunk to 1-8 as they continued the program's worst start since the 1950-51 squad began 0-9.

Rebounding woes

Foremost among Southeast's problems Saturday was rebounding, which has probably been a bigger thorn in the Indians' side than turnovers so far this season.

The Indians entered the SIU contest being outrebounded by an average of seven per contest and the Salukis pounded Southeast on the boards to the tune of 51-28.

Of course, with 6-foot-6, 250-pound monster Rolan Roberts and 6-8 jumping-jack Jermaine Dearman on the inside, the Salukis will hammer plenty of their fellow mid-major opponents on the boards this season.

Roberts, a transfer who has elevated the Salukis from simply a fairly decent team to a very good squad, pulled down 18 rebounds Saturday to go with 28 points. He also blocked six shots. Dearman added 12 rebounds and 16 points.

"Rebounding has been our Achilles heel, no question about it," Garner said. "I don't think we've outrebounded anybody all year. I think we were even once. Then today we went against a real good rebounding team. I thought our defense was pretty decent, but the second shots killed us."

Thanks primarily to those second shots along with a lot of other easy inside baskets, the Salukis were able to shoot 52.3 percent from the field.

Still, the Indians were able to slice a 25-point deficit early in the second half to just five with under five minutes remaining.

"Our guys never quit," said Garner. "Once we got down 25, with the kind of season they're having and the big crowd behind them, it could have easily wound up a 40 or 50 point game. I was proud of the guys for hanging in there."

Garner figures if the Indians can give that kind of effort and take care of the ball the way they did Saturday, they could very well be competitive once the Ohio Valley Conference season starts in early January.

"We're still getting our pieces together," said Garner. "Once we get our whole team together, I think we can keep getting better and eventually be a pretty decent team with a chance to win some games."

The Indians only recently got point guard Kenny Johnson eligible and, although he's still obviously a bit rusty, he had by far his best overall performance Saturday. In his third game in a Southeast uniform, the junior scored 14 points and dished out five assists with three turnovers.

Garner also hopes the Indians can soon add a bit of beef to their depleted inside game. Monte Gordon, a 6-5, 225-pounder who is the squad's lone senior and also probably their strongest player, became eligible along with Johnson for the second semester.

But Gordon has not yet dressed out for any games because of continuing problems with a racing heart that slowed him for most of last season.

"There really has been no more news, but he's practiced with us a couple of times and we're hoping to get him back pretty soon," Garner said.Lincoln up next

Next up for the Indians is Division II Lincoln, which will be at the Show Me Center Saturday for a 1 p.m. tipoff.

The Blue Tigers, a former foe of Southeast's during the Indians' Division II days in the old Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association, are just 5-6 but four of those losses were by a total of 18 points.

Lincoln, which has several Division I transfers on its roster, figures to be a handful for the Indians. The Blue Tigers from Jefferson City, Mo., are averaging more than 88 points per game -- they have topped the 100-point mark twice, including a high of 126 -- and they attempt an average of more than 20 3-pointers per contest.