INDIANS TRY TO AVENGE ONE LAST OT LOSS AT EIU

So far this season, Southeast Missouri State University's basketball Indians have been able to exact revenge on every team that previously beat them in overtime.

Tonight, the Indians will get one final chance as they close out the regular season with a road contest against Eastern Illinois.

The Ohio Valley Conference game is set for a 7:05 p.m. tipoff at Lantz Gym in Charleston, Ill.

EIU defeated Southeast 81-78 in overtime on Jan. 24 at the Show Me Center.

"We've been able to beat Tennessee State, Eastern Kentucky and Tennessee-Martin after they had beaten us the first meeting in overtime," said Southeast coach Gary Garner. "It would be great to get Eastern Illinois back as well."

A win tonight would be great for the Indians for several reasons.

First, it would keep Southeast still in the hunt for an Ohio Valley Conference Tournament opening-round home game, which goes to the top four finishers in the 10-team league.

Southeast (13-12 overall, 9-8 OVC) is in fifth place, but just one-game behind fourth-place Austin Peay. If the Indians win tonight and the Govs lose at Tennessee-Martin, then the squads would finish tied and Southeast would get the tournament home game by virtue of two earlier wins over the Govs.

"Austin Peay probably should beat Tennessee-Martin," Garner said. "But anything can certainly happen. It's not out of the question for Martin to pull an upset."

Second, a victory tonight would give the Indians their highest win total ever in the OVC. Previously, Southeast had reached nine victories twice since joining the conference seven years ago.

Third -- and something Garner would really love to have happen -- is a win over EIU would clinch an overall winning season for the Indians, something that has happened just once in six previous Division I seasons.

"That would really be big for us," said Garner. "We didn't talk about it that much, but at the start of the season, the goal of our staff was to have a winning season and get to Nashville (for the OVC Tournament semifinals).

"Beating Eastern Illinois would assure us of a winning season, which would be great. Then we can work on figuring out how to get to Nashville."

But Garner knows that defeating the Panthers will certainly be a tough task, because EIU (16-9, 13-4 OVC) is in second place in the conference and has been one of the league's strongest teams all season.

"They're the kind of team that probably isn't maybe as talented as some other teams in the league, but they play very well together and they're very well coached," said Garner. "They'll be a difficult team to beat on their home court."

Difficult, but certainly not impossible.

"We all feel we can win this game," Garner said. "I think we match up really well with Eastern Illinois and there are not a whole lot of teams in the league we can match up with."

The earlier meeting with the Panthers was curious in two regards.

Rick Kaye, a 6-foot-5 senior guard who is EIU's leading scorer and the OVC's second-leading scorer at 21.2 points per game, hit just two of 15 shots from the field and scored only 14 points.

Yet 6-6 senior forward Conya Robinson, who averages just 3.8 points per game, hit all seven of his field-goal attempts and scored 17 points.

"It's kind of scary to think Kaye goes two for 15 and we don't win," said Garner. "But at the same time, Robinson goes seven for seven and gets 17.

"I don't think Kaye will go two for 15 this time. But I don't think Robinson will go seven for seven either."

Calvert White and Nathan Owen were largely responsible for holding Kaye in check during the first meeting and Garner said they'll probably take turns guarding EIU's star again tonight.

"We'll go with the same approach," he said. "Hopefully we can do a good job again because Kaye really is a good player."

Regardless of what happens tonight, the Indians will play a first-round OVC tourney game Tuesday night. Southeast's opponent will probably be Austin Peay, although there is still an outside chance the Indians could face Middle Tennessee.

SEMO at Eastern Illinois

7:05 p.m., Charleston, Ill.

Probable Starters

SEMO (13-12, 9-8 OVC)

Player Pos. Yr. Ht. Avg.

Calvert White F Sr. 6-4 10.2

Nathan Owen F Fr. 6-2 5.4

David Montgomery C Jr. 6-8 11.8

Cory Johnson G Jr. 6-0 14.9

Kahn Cotton G Jr. 5-10 12.0

EIU (16-9, 13-4 OVC)

Player Pos. Yr. Ht. Avg.

Marc Polite F So. 6-5 10.2

Conya Robinson F Sr. 6-6 3.8

Eric Frankford C Sr. 6-9 5.7

Jack Owens G Jr. 6-2 11.4

Rick Kaye G Sr. 6-5 21.2

Series: EKU leads 8-5

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