OVC cellar dweller extends Redhawks' skid to 5 games

~ Morehead State ended a 15-game skid with a 60-55 win over Southeast.

Southeast Missouri State's season, already on the brink, suffered perhaps its most devastating blow Thursday night.

This one will no doubt be difficult to recover from.

Morehead State, previously winless in Ohio Valley Conference play, stunned the host Redhawks 60-55.

"This was a bitter pill to swallow," said a somber Southeast coach Gary Garner. "This was one we felt we could get. We couldn't pull it off."

After playing seven of their first 11 OVC games on the road, the Redhawks hoped to surge over the last part of the conference schedule that would feature six of their final nine league contests at home.

Instead, the Redhawks (6-12, 3-9 OVC) continued their season-high losing streak by suffering their fifth consecutive defeat. They are tied for ninth place in the 11-team OVC, with only the top eight finishers making the league's postseason tournament.

"We just need to get a win to get going," sophomore point guard Paul Paradoski said. "Losing to Morehead State ... it shouldn't happen."

The Eagles (2-15, 1-10) opened the season with a win over non-Division I opponent Kentucky Christian, then dropped 15 straight.

But, before a blowout loss to Jacksonville State last Saturday night, MSU had come close to winning several times, including against Samford, when the Eagles blew a 10-point lead with 1:14 remaining.

Garner feared the Eagles would be dangerous -- and that came to pass.

"You've got to give them credit. I thought they played very well," Garner said. "I knew they would win one. They've played too many people close. We hoped it wouldn't be against us."

Southeast senior guard Roy Booker, the OVC's leading scorer, said he can't speak for his teammates, but he certainly didn't take the Eagles for granted.

"I didn't underestimate them. I don't know about the team," Booker said. "I knew they could play. I saw it on tape. Coach told us."

Perhaps Southeast's biggest problem was a failure to solve MSU's zone defense.

The Redhawks, experiencing problems getting the ball inside all night, attempted 31 of their 59 field goals from beyond the 3-point line.

Southeast made just eight 3-pointers, for 25.8 percent. The Redhawks shot 35.6 percent from the field overall (21 of 59), but they were a solid 13 of 28 from inside the arc.

"For some reason we didn't do well against the zone. It was pretty much a normal 2-3. We'd seen it," Paradoski said. "Our guards might have relied on the three too much. Obviously it hurt us."

Said Garner: "We didn't execute well [against the zone]. We haven't seen much zone this year. We knew they would play it a lot. You can practice it all you want, but it's not the same as being in a game."

Booker was Southeast's only double-figure scorer with 22 points, but he hit just nine of 27 shots, including four of 15 from 3-point range.

Southeast's other two guards also struggled with their shooting. Junior Terrick Willoughby was two of 12, including two of eight on 3-pointers. Paradoski was three of eight, including two of seven on 3-pointers.

The game was close throughout, with 13 lead changes and six ties. Southeast led 20-15 in the first half, but fell behind 25-24 at the break.

MSU stayed ahead the majority of the second half, never by more than five points.

Southeast held only three second-half leads -- none of more than two points -- the final time being 50-49 after Willoughby's 3-pointer with 4:40 remaining.

The Eagles regained the lead less than a minute later and Southeast never caught back up.

Southeast had two straight possessions trailing by three points with under a minute left but failed to convert.

It was 56-52 when Booker drilled a long 3-pointer with 11 seconds remaining to pull the Redhawks within 56-55.

MSU freshman guard Deron Brown made two free throws for a 58-55 advantage, and Booker was well off on a tough, leaning 3-pointer in the final seconds, which led to a runout by the Eagles and a final layup at the buzzer.

Junior forward Shaun Williams led the Eagles with 17 points. The Eagles shot 48 percent (24 of 50) and had much better success than Southeast in getting the ball inside, leading to a 38-24 edge in points in the paint.

"They've been battling," MSU coach Kyle Macy said. "We were due to win one of these."