INDIANS TRY TO AVOID `KAYE-0'; EIU BRINGS OVC-S TOP SCORER TO SHOW ME CENTER TONIGHT

The mission tonight for Southeast Missouri State University's basketball team is clear, but certainly not simple:

Try and slow down Rick Kaye, who is the heart of sole of a strong Eastern Illinois squad.

"Some way, you have to slow him down, but I don't know for sure how to do it," said Southeast coach Gary Garner.

Garner figures just how much success the Indians have in making things tough on Kaye will ultimately determine the outcome of the key 7:30 p.m. Ohio Valley Contest at the Show Me Center.

"They have other good players and they are a very solid team," said Garner. "But Kaye really makes them go. We have to do something to control him, but he can beat you in a lot of different ways."

EIU, which returned virtually every key player from last year's solid team, has been one of the OVC's best squads so far with a 6-2 record, good for third place. The Panthers are 9-7 overall.

Southeast, saddled with a two-game losing streak, is 4-5 in league play and 8-9 overall. The Indians are still in decent shape as they shoot for a top-four OVC finish that means hosting a first-round conference tournament game, but tonight's start of a three-game homestand looms large.

"It's really a big game for us," Garner said. "Of course, every conference game is big. But we really have to protect our home court if we want to have a chance of finishing in the top four. And that starts with this one."

Kaye, a 6-foot-5 senior guard who plays all over the court, leads the OVC in scoring with an average of 20.9 points per game. He also pulls down 4.5 rebounds a contest, has 39 assists and 32 steals and is shooting 35 percent from 3-point range. Last year, he averaged 26 points in two victories over the Indians.

"I mean, I am really impressed with him. He can really play basketball," said Garner. "He can get his points a lot of different ways. He shoots the three well, he drives well and he shoots off the dribble well. I think there is really going to be a tossup for (OVC) player of the year between him and (Murray State's De'Teri) Mayes."

The Panthers also get 10 points per game from 6-5 sophomore forward Marc Polite and 9.9 points a contest from 6-2 junior point guard Jack Owens.

Owens, who started his college career at Murray State two years ago, runs the Panthers well as evidenced by his 72 assists. Southeast fans probably figure Owens must be talented since he beat out Chad Peckinpaugh for the point guard job.

Peckinpaugh killed the Indians last year by averaging 14 assists in EIU's two wins over Southeast, including a school-record 18 assists in one of the contests. He was fourth in the nation in assists last season and was playing quite a bit behind Owens but he recently left the squad.

Rounding out the Panthers' starting lineup are 6-6 senior forward Conya Robinson (2.6 ppg) and 6-7 sophomore center John Smith (5.1 ppg), who leads the team in rebounding with 5.1 per contest.

EIU also gets solid production off the bench from 6-6 senior forward Kurt Cuffle (6.1 ppg) and 6-9 senior center Eric Frankford (6.1 ppg).

Frankford in particular concerns Garner. After being hampered by injuries much of the last few seasons, Frankford finally appears to be relatively healthy and, despite his size, shoots 48 percent on 3-pointers.

"Frankford is really coming on for them. Polite is a good player and Owens runs the team well," Garner said. "I think Murray State is on a level above everybody else in the OVC, but after that, Eastern Illinois is as good as anybody. I would say they're very close to Middle Tennessee. They're a good basketball team."

Good, but not unbeatable, said Garner.

"It's going to take a very good effort on our part," he said. "But I think we're capable of doing it."

Eastern Illinois at SEMO

7:30 p.m., Show Me Center

Probable Starters

SEMO (8-9, 4-5 OVC)

Player Pos. Yr. Ht. Avg.

Calvert White F Sr. 6-4 9.5

Demetrius Watson F Jr. 6-4 9.2

Bud Eley C Sr. 6-10 15.3

Cory Johnson G Jr. 6-0 13.8

Kahn Cotton G Jr. 5-10 11.6

EIU (9-7, 6-2 OVC)

Player Pos. Yr. Ht. Avg.

Marc Polite F So. 6-5 10.0

Conya Robinson F Sr. 6-6 2.6

John Smith C So. 6-7 5.1

Jack Owens G Jr. 6-2 9.9

Rick Kaye G Sr. 6-5 20.9

Series: EIU leads 7-5

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