Indians seek quick start in OVC

Southeast Missouri State University men's coach Gary Garner considers his team's nonconference season a success as the Indians went 7-4.

But that solid start will mean very little beginning tonight as Ohio Valley Conference play opens with a home game against defending champion and preseason favorite Austin Peay.

Garner and the Indians know the success of their season will largely be determined by what happens in the league. And getting off to a strong start in this opening homestand -- which includes Saturday's game against Tennessee Tech -- is fairly crucial.

"I can't tell you how important these two games are," Garner said. "We have to protect our home court."

Garner realizes that protecting the Show Me Center against Austin Peay will be no easy chore. The Govs have already posted an OVC victory, pounding league newcomer Jacksonville State on the road 76-58 Saturday night. And in their final non-conference test, they took Kentucky to the wire before falling 61-53.

According to Garner, the Govs' 4-7 overall record means little because they faced what has been ranked as one of the nation's top five nonconference schedules. Austin Peay also lost at Louisville, Alabama and Memphis.

"They played such a tough nonconference schedule," Garner said. "But to play Kentucky to the wire, then go on the road and beat Jacksonville State by 18...I think now we'll start to see the real Austin Peay team."

Govs coach Dave Loos hopes so. Despite facing such a rugged non-league slate, he was worried his squad -- which returned all five starters from last year -- would start doubting itself. The OVC-opening win at Jacksonville State came just in time.

"We needed a win badly from a psychological standpoint," Loos said. "It was very important for us."

Austin Peay, which was picked just fifth in last year's OVC preseason poll before tying with Morehead State for the title and then winning the conference tournament, hung its hat on defense during its championship season.

That defense smothered Southeast in two competitive games last year as the Indians shot 35.7 percent during a 63-56 loss in Cape Girardeau and 29.8 percent during a 62-49 defeat in Clarksville, Tenn.

This year appears no different as the Govs are second in the league in scoring defense (63.8 points per game) and first in field-goal percentage defense (41.3).

"They are so good defensively," Garner said.

But the athletically improved Indians appear better equipped to at least threaten the Govs' defense a bit more this season. And Southeast's defense -- the staple of Garner's early successful teams at Southeast -- has stepped things up several notches.

After being one of the OVC's worst defensive teams during the last two struggling seasons, the Indians are third in both scoring defense (66.2 ppg) and field-goal percent defense (43.3).

"I think we've improved a lot defensively and we'll have to be really strong at that end because they will be," Garner said. "I'll be surprised if the game is not in the 50s or 60s."

While Garner is impressed with the Govs' continued defensive excellence, Loos thinks the new-look Indians are extremely dangerous.

"They returned some quality guys and they helped themselves with the guys they had sitting out and recruited," Loos said. "I am very impressed. Of course I was impressed with them last year, and they've strengthened their team. (Dainmon) Gonner is a terrific addition and that's just one example.

"I think our team plays good defense and I think Gary's team plays good defense, and that's a concern because we have had trouble putting the ball in the hole."

While the Govs' leading scorers are 6-foot-2 junior guard Anthony Davis (13.5 ppg) and 6-6 senior forward Adrian Henning (13.1 ppg), Garner said their most valuable player might be 6-8 senior center Josh Lewis (10.2 ppg), who leads the OVC with 22 blocked shots. Lewis has blocked at least one shot in the last 37 games and needs four more to become just the fourth player in OVC history with 200 career blocks.

During last year's 13-point Austin Peay home win over Southeast, Lewis blocked six shots to almost singlehandedly snuff out the Indians' upset hopes.

"His ability to block shots probably makes them the best defensive team in the league," Garner said.

Garner said he would be surprised if tonight's game does not come down to the last few minutes, with a final margin of just a few points either way. Loos doesn't disagree.

"It's a really big game and I look for a really tough game," he said.