HIGH-SCORING PANTHER DUO AWAITS INDIANS

CHARLESTON, Ill. -- Tonight's crucial Ohio Valley Conference game at Eastern Illinois presents a double dilemma for Southeast Missouri State University men's basketball coach Gary Garner and his Indians.

The Panthers feature the OVC's top scorer and the nation's No. 2 point producer in Henry Domercant, who also happens to rank second in the conference in both field-goal shooting and 3-point shooting.

Figuring out a way to slow down Domercant, a 6-foot-4 swingman, would be tough enough. But EIU also has the OVC's No. 2 scorer in 6-2 senior guard Kyle Hill, who ranks seventh nationally.

So the Indians (10-6 overall, 2-3 OVC) will definitely have their hands full when they meet the explosive Panthers (10-6, 3-2) in a 7:10 p.m. tipoff at Lantz Gym.

"When a team has one great player...and we have two we have to guard," said Garner, shaking his head. "They could go play for anybody in the country. I mean anybody. They're two of the best players in the league."

Domercant and Hill have certainly put up some eye-opening numbers so far this season, particularly Domercant, who has seemingly come out of nowhere to take the OVC by storm.

As a freshman last season, Domercant showed some promise but was no star. He made eight starts and averaged a little more than nine points per game while shooting less than 40 percent from the field and barely 30 percent from 3-point range.

But look at him now. Domercant is averaging 25.1 points and 7.0 rebounds while shooting 56 percent from the floor and 48 percent on 3-pointers.

EIU coach Rick Samuels, while acknowledging that he expected Domercant to be solid, admitted he never envisioned a season like the one his sophomore is having.

"Not this early," Samuels said. "We had counted on him becoming our primary scorer, but after Kyle Hill left. But I can't argue with the shots he's taking, when he's shooting almost 50 percent from 3-point range."

Said Garner, "What Domercant has done is almost mind boggling. I don't know if I've seen stats like that. He's just doing everything for them."

Hill isn't far behind, although that is definitely not a surprise as Hill was one of the OVC's top guards last season, earning first-team all-league honors while scoring nearly 20 points a game.

This season, Hill is averaging 22.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.9 assists while shooting 42 percent from 3-point range.

"Nobody has slowed Domercant or Hill down yet," said Garner.

Adding to the Panthers' superior perimeter game is 6-1 senior point guard Matt Britton, who averages 13.3 points and 4.8 assists, the latter figure ranking second in the OVC.

"Britton kind of plays off the other two. He's playing extremely well and he's shooting well," said Garner.

That trio combines for 61 of the Panthers OVC-leading 82 points per game, meaning EIU doesn't have much of an inside game. But who needs that when you've got Domercant, Hill and Britton?

"After those three, they really drop off," said Garner, who added with a laugh, "Their big guys basically just set picks all over the floor."

Garner said that Emmanuel McCuthison will guard Domercant and Antonio Short will match up against Hill, although other Indians are sure to lend help on those two players.

"We can't just go up there and play a normal defensive game," Garner said. "They're just too good."

Southeast is the OVC's top defensive team statistically, leading the league in scoring defense (65.8 ppg), field-goal percentage defense (.407) and 3-point field-goal percentage (.308).

"If the game is in the 70s, we're not going to win it. We're just not that kind of team," said Garner. "We need the game in the 60s."

The Panthers have probably played even better in league play than their 3-2 record indicates. Their losses were by one point in overtime at preseason favorite Austin Peay and by eight points at first-place Tennessee Tech.

"I'm pleased with what we're accomplishing, but we need to be able to step it up another notch if we're going to be OVC contenders to the end," said Samuels.

All signs point to EIU being a solid favorite tonight, but Southeast has beaten the Panthers six straight times, three of the wins coming in Charleston, including last season's scintillating 72-71 triumph on McCuthison's layup in the closing seconds. So Samuels is understandably wary.

"We always have had tough games with SEMO," he said. "They're a different kind of team this year, but very dangerous. Those perimeter kids are so good off the dribble.. we couldn't stop them last year."

Garner knows that a victory would put the Indians right back in the thick of the OVC title chase -- and he believes they can pull it off.

"It's just a huge game for us. We've been good on the road the last couple of years and I feel like we have the team that can go there and win," he said. "It's going to be a tough game, but we can win it."