INDIANS LOOKING FOR FIRST WIN AT EASTERN KENTUCKY

RICHMOND, Ky. -- Southeast Missouri State University's Indians will attempt to accomplish something tonight that has never happened in the history of the school.

Win a basketball game at Eastern Kentucky.

The Indians and Colonels will square off in a 7:30 Ohio Valley Conference tipoff at McBrayer Coliseum.

Southeast is 0-6 in games played on EKU's court since the Indians joined the OVC seven years ago.

And even though the Indians continue to be plagued by injury problems, they built up some momentum with Saturday's 64-61 win at Morehead State.

Prior to Saturday, the Indians had only won once at Morehead since joining the OVC.

"Winning (Saturday) was huge, particularly under the circumstances," said Southeast coach Gary Garner. "Boy, if we could get one more on this trip..."

Garner's voice trailed off. He realizes how difficult it will be to win tonight, but he also knows his team is a resilient bunch that just might be able to pull it off.

"We'll battle, that's for sure," Garner said.

Saturday's game marked the fourth straight the Indians have played without 6-foot-10 center Bud Eley, who continues to recover from a broken foot.

During the first half of Saturday's contest, forward Demetrius Watson suffered a strained hip flexor and did not play in the second half. He was still walking around gingerly Sunday and his status for tonight remains up in the air.

"Right now it's hard to say if Demetrius will be able to play," said Garner.

The Indians also had to play the final 7:49 of Saturday's game after 6-8 David Montgomery fouled out.

"Considering what we had to overcome, that was a great win," said Garner. "It's the kind of game you have to win if you want to be a (conference) contender."

Southeast is 6-5 overall and 2-1 in OVC play, which puts the Indians in a four-way tie for third place in the league. Tennessee-Martin is off to a 3-0 start while Middle Tennessee is 2-0.

EKU, under the direction of first-year coach Scott Perry, lost its first eight games of the season but the Colonels have won two straight, including a big 67-63 Saturday win over Eastern Illinois. EKU is 1-2 in league play.

"You can really see on tape how much improvement Eastern Kentucky has made as the season has gone along," Garner said. "They didn't look good at all early in the year but they're starting to play well. They're got quite a bit of talent."

Mark Williams, a 6-4 junior guard, leads the Colonels offensively with 14.6 points per game. He scored 27 against Eastern Illinois and hit five of eight 3-point shots.

Shane Karnes, a 6-1 junior guard, averages 12.7 points per contest.

Daniel Sutton, a 6-7 forward, and 6-5 forward Marty Thomas, who have both been coming off the bench in recent games, both average around 10 points per contest.

Kahn Cotton led the Indians against Morehead with 16 points while Montgomery added 11 in only 19 minutes before fouling out.

Watson got off to a strong start with nine first-half points before missing the entire second half.

"Now we've got to figure out a way to win this ballgame," said Garner. "It's going to be tough, but if we play well we should have a chance. On the road, that's about all you can ask for."

Following tonight's game, the Indians will return home to prepare for another OVC game when Tennessee Tech visits Cape Girardeau Thursday night. Southeast will host Middle Tennessee Saturday night.

SEMO at Eastern Kentucky

7;30 p.m., Richmond, Ky.

Probable Starters

SEMO (6-5, 2-1 OVC)

Player Pos. Yr. Ht. Avg.

Calvert White F Sr. 6-4 9.5

Demetrius Watson F Jr. 6-4 7.5

David Mongomery C Jr. 6-8 10.5

Cory Johnson G Jr. 6-0 12.3

Kahn Cotton G Jr. 5-10 13.5

EKU (2-8, 1-2)

Player Pos. Yr. Ht. Avg.

David Evans F So. 6-5 5.8

Ibrahim Miles F Jr. 6-7 4.6

Derrick Wilder C Jr. 6-8 1.6

Mark Williams G Jr. 6-4 14.6

Shane Carnes G Jr. 6-1 12.7

Series: EKU leads 8-4

Radio: K103-FM