INDIANS FORK OVER TITLE TO DEVILS 84-80

Having won nine titles in their 10 previous tournaments, Southeast Missouri State University's basketball Indians are usually the favorites in their early-season event.

But a talented and powerful Mississippi Valley State squad bucked the odds Saturday night, beating Southeast 84-80 in the championship game of the Capital Bank Classic before 5,375 fans at the Show Me Center.

Mississippi Valley State improved to 3-0 while Southeast fell to 2-1.

"We hung in there," said winning coach Lafayette Stribling, whose squad led by 11 points at halftime but had to survive a furious second-half charge by the Indians. "Our guys played in front of a hostile crowd, but you have to do that to be a good basketball team.

"It was a hard-fought game. It was a great basketball game."

Said Southeast coach Ron Shumate, "Mississippi State has a nice basketball team, a very powerful team. We got involved in their game instead of our game."

Marcus Mann paced the Delta Devils with 26 points while Shun Pearson scored 20, 14 coming in the first half.

Southeast got 21 points from Jerome Days, 18 from Anthony Holt off the bench, 15 from William "Bud" Eley and 14 from Allen Hatchett.

Pearson was named the tournament MVP. Joining him on the all-tourney team were Mann, Days, Eley, Idaho's Harry Harrison and Troy State's Rodney Donaldson.

Idaho beat Troy State 95-86 in Saturday night's third-place game.

Most of the first half was extremely tight, but the Delta Devils used a late 10-0 run to take control with a 39-28 lead at the intermission.

The lead changed hands several times over the first 10 minutes. Southeast went ahead 19-18 on a baseline jumper by Holt with 8:11 left. The Indians then pushed their lead to 22-18 on a Days follow shot and a Devron Kirksey free throw.

Mississippi Valley then took control of the opening half with its 10-0 run, which was keyed by several Southeast turnovers and missed shots. A Pearson 3-pointer but the Delta Devils ahead 23-22 with 4:27 left and they later stretched the margin to 28-22.

Hatchett pulled the Indians to within 33-28 on a 3-pointer with 1:17 left, but Pearson drained two long-range shots in the final 56 seconds of the first half to account for the 39-28 margin at the break.

Southeast still trailed 49-41 early in the second half when the Indians charged back on the strength of a 15-5 run. Holt's 3-pointer drew Southeast to within 52-51 with 12:43 left. Days scored on a conventional three-point play one minute later to put the Indians ahead 56-54. It was their first lead since midway through the opening half.

Mississippi Valley State came right back with a 6-0 run to go ahead 60-56, but a dunk by Days knotted the contest at 60-60. The lead went back and forth several times after that.

The Delta Devils appeared to take control as Anthony Smith scored on the break for a 78-72 lead with 3:06 left.

But Days hit a free throw, then scored inside and Hatchett got loose on the break, pulling the Indians to within 78-77 with under two minutes left.

Southeast then gained possession after a missed shot and had a chance to take the lead, but the Indians turned the ball over. With 1:09 left, Mann got inside for a slam, putting the Devils ahead 80-77.

Holt was fouled with 44 seconds left. He made the first shot and missed the second, but the Indians grabbed the rebound. Shumate called a timeout to set up a play, but Southeast turned the ball over.

The Devils' Anthony Davis was fouled with 21 seconds left. He missed both shots, but Mann grabbed the offensive rebound and scored for an 82-78 lead.

Kirksey scored on a follow shot with 14 seconds left to pull the Indians within 82-80.

Mississippi Valley State was able to milk 11 seconds off the clock, retaining possession on a held ball along the way. Finally, with three seconds left, Smith was fouled. He made both free throws to clinch the victory.