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SportsDecember 29, 1998

ST. LOUIS -- The Trans World Dome was transformed into a sea of red for Monday night's first game of the Earth Grains Classic college basketball doubleheader. Of the approximately 6,000 fans on hand for the 5:15 p.m. tipoff, more than 4,000 were supporters of Southeast Missouri State University's Indians...

ST. LOUIS -- The Trans World Dome was transformed into a sea of red for Monday night's first game of the Earth Grains Classic college basketball doubleheader.

Of the approximately 6,000 fans on hand for the 5:15 p.m. tipoff, more than 4,000 were supporters of Southeast Missouri State University's Indians.

The Southeast contingent outnumbered the Southern Illinois supporters by a huge margin. Only a few hundred Saluki fans were at the cavernous TWA Dome, which seats about 35,000 for basketball.

"We had a tremendous following for this game," said Southeast coach Gary Garner. "It was great to see all the Southeast basketball fans supporting us. It says a lot for the fans we have."

Nearly 1,000 Southeast followers attended a pre-game party at the TWA Dome. Among those at that gathering was former St. Louis Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog.

Herzog, who actually did not attend college in Cape Girardeau, jokingly told people that he majored in fishing at Southeast.

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A notable Southeast alumn at the game was Kerry Robinson, a former star baseball player for the Indians who has been a minor league baseball standout the past few years and spent the final week of the 1998 season in the major leagues.

"I haven't seen SEMO play basketball in a while but I'm enjoying it," said Robinson, a St. Louis native.

* Two of Southeast's assistant coaches had a rooting interest in the second game of Monday's doubleheader.

Anthony Beane was an all-Big Eight Conference player for Kansas State in the early 1990s.

Kevin Williams, a Southeast student assistant, played for Saint Louis in the mid 1980s.

Bragging rights went to Beane as the Wildcats rallied for a 67-63 victory.

* Attendance for the doubleheader was 22,159.

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