INDIANS TRAVEL OVC'S FRIENDLY ROAD TO TCH; SOUTHEAST SHOOTS FOR 6-0 CONFERENCE START

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. -- It's already been a successful road trip for Southeast Missouri State University's surging basketball team.

A victory tonight would make it about as perfect a road trip as Southeast coach Gary Garner could imagine.

The Indians, in first place in the Ohio Valley Conference with a 5-0 record -- Southeast is 8-5 overall -- will take on Tennessee Tech in a 7:45 p.m. tipoff at the Eblen Center. Tech is 1-3 in the league, 5-7 overall.

A win tonight would send the Indians back home for three straight games with a huge head of steam, secure in the knowledge that they would have already posted four OVC victories away from home.

"To have already won four road games out of our six conference games played would really be something," said Garner. "We have to really come out and have a good performance tonight because Tech will be a tough team on their home court."

Southeast should be riding high tonight after the performance they had Thursday night, when they posted a 73-63 win over Middle Tennessee in Murfreesboro. That victory gave the Indians road triumphs over the teams picked to finish second (Tennessee State), third (Austin Peay) and fourth (Middle Tennessee) in the OVC preseason poll.

The Indians, the preseason No. 5 squad in the league, are one-half game ahead of Murray State, which was idle Thursday. The Racers, 4-0 in OVC play, return to action tonight at home against Tennessee-Martin.

"It would be great to come back home 6-0 in the league," Garner said.

Tech, under first-year coach Dave Lebo -- a former standout player at North Carolina -- seems to be an improving team. The Eagles, who lost at home to Eastern Illinois 68-63 Thursday night, have put together several solid performances this season.

"They're a lot better than they were last year," said Garner. "They seem to be playing pretty well and they've got a couple of really good, dangerous players."

The Eagles' top players are their two starting guards. Corey Hemphill, a 6-foot-1 junior, and 6-2 junior Josh Heard both average about 14 points per game.

Wesley Whitehorn, a 6-6 senior forward, averages nearly nine points and a team-high seven rebounds per contest.

"Hemphill and Heard are very good and Whitehorn is a solid player," Garner said.

Senior guard Kahn Cotton, who had been in a shooting slump, found his touch Thursday night and scored a team-high 18 points to help lead the win over Middle Tennessee. Cotton was 5-for-9 from 3-point range after coming into the game having shot just 6-for-31 on the season on 3-pointers.

Said Garner, "It was great to see Kahn break out like that. I just knew if he could hit one or two early and get that confidence going, he'd be fine. He's been playing so well in other areas."

Senior center Bud Eley had his sixth straight double-double as he scored 16 points and pulled down 11 rebounds. Eley also blocked three shots.

Junior forward Mike Branson contributed 16 points and 10 rebounds.

"It's a big win for us, but we can't let up," said Branson. "We need to keep playing well and win one more on the road."

Southeast has struggled at the Eblen Center over the years, winning just once in seven games played there against Tech. The Eagles hammered the Indians 77-57 last year in Cookeville after Southeast had handily won the game played in Cape Girardeau.

"We didn't play well at all there last year," said Garner. "That's something we've reminded the players of. We want to make sure that doesn't happen again."

Added Garner, "Beating Middle Tennessee was a great win for us. But I told the guys after the game that how we handle success will determine how much success we have. We have to stay focused and have another very good performance (tonight)."

Following tonight's game, the Indians face Austin Peay at the Show Me Center Tuesday night. Then Thursday night, defending league champion Murray State comes to Cape Girardeau for what could be a first-place OVC showdown.

SEMO at Tennsessse Tch

7:45 p.m., Cookeville, Tenn.

Probable Starters

SEMO (8-5, 5-0 OVC)

Player Pos. Yr. Ht. Avg.

Mike Branson F Jr. 6-6 10.8

Demetrius Watson F Sr. 6-4 5.3

Bud Eley C Sr. 6-10 15.2

Cory Johnson G Sr. 6-0 10.7

Kahn Cotton G Sr. 5-10 7.8

Tech (5-7, 1-3 OVC)

Player Pos. Yr. Ht. Avg.

Wesley Whitehorn F Sr. 6-6 8.6

Joey Westmoreland F Fr. 6-6 4.0

Eric Akins C Jr. 6-9 5.4

Corey Hemphill G Jr. 6-1 13.8

Josh Heard G Jr. 6-2 14.1

Series: Series tied 7-7

Last meeting: TEch won 77-57 last season

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