INDIANS LOOK TO AVENGE FIRST OVC LOSS

It's one down and one to go for Southeast Missouri State University's basketball Indians as they attempt to take care of business prior to Saturday's nationally televised showdown with Murray State.

The Indians began this week's huge three-game homestand by blistering Middle Tennessee 76-56 Tuesday night. Southeast came out focused and jumped on the Raiders early, just as coach Gary Garner had hoped.

Garner will be looking for another focused and intense effort tonight when Tennessee-Martin visits the Show Me Center for a 7:30 tipoff.

"We have to come out focused and ready to play," said Garner. "We did that against Middle Tennessee. We have to do it again, and then we can start thinking about Murray State."

Southeast, which snapped a two-game losing streak Tuesday, is 17-5 overall and 10-3 in Ohio Valley Conference play. The first-place Indians lead second-place Murray State by one-half game.

UTM, which upset Southeast 75-66 on Jan. 13 in Martin, Tenn., has lost four straight games to fall to 8-13 overall and a seventh-place 5-6 in the 10-team OVC.

"They handed us our first conference loss, so I'd be surprised if we're not really ready to play," Garner said. "And we know how important this game is for us.

"When we started this week, with three home games, we knew how important it was to win all three, but we knew we had to take them one at a time. We've got the first, and now we need to get the second."

Garner knows a win over UTM will not be automatic, because the Skyhawks have fared respectably in OVC play after being picked to finish last in the league.

"They're evidently struggling some now, but they beat us and (third-place) Eastern Illinois, so they're definitely capable," said Garner.

During the earlier meeting between the teams, UTM hammered Southeast on the offensive boards in the first half to build up a big lead. The Skyhawks were then able to hold off the Indians.

While the Skyhawks are not big their tallest starter is 6-foot-6 they crash the offensive boards relentlessly. UTM is second in the OVC in offensive rebounding, having grabbed more than 50 offensive boards than the opposition.

"They really crashed the boards against us the first game," Garner said. "They're a very good offensive rebounding team. That's one of their big strengths and that's what they really beat us at earlier. We're going to have to emphasize getting on the boards."

Byron Benton, a 6-6 center, averages12.3 points per game to lead the Skyhawks offensively. He exploded for 30 points during a loss to Murray State last Saturday.

Hayden Prescott, a 6-5 forward, averages 11.6 points per game and he leads UTM in rebounding at nearly six a contest.

Andrae Betts, a 5-9 point guard, scores 10.5 points a game and he leads the squad in assists with 87.

"They've got some good players. They've got a lot better athletes than they had last year, and they've got a lot more depth," said Garner. "They're a good enough team to beat us if we don't come out ready to play."

The Indians used their trademark suffocating defense to bury Middle Tennessee Tuesday. Southeast, by far the OVC's top defensive team statistically, held the Raiders to three points over the first 12 minutes in putting the game away early.

"We really got off to a good start, which I thought would be a key," said Garner. "That's going to be important again (tonight)."

INDIAN NOTES: A Southeast win tonight will give Garner his 300th career victory on the collegiate level. Garner is 299-190 in his 17th season, including 51-27 in his third season with the Indians...

Prior to Tuesday's game, Southeast forward Roderick Johnson ranked ninth nationally in field-goal percentage at 61 percent. He is second in the OVC.

An interesting OVC game will take place tonight in Charleston, Ill., as Eastern Illinois hosts Murray State. The Panthers are tied for third place in the OVC at 8-5, just behind the 9-3 Racers.