Redhawks duel Govs for first in OVC

~ Southeast men have dropped nine straight games at Austin Peay.

It has been a decade since the Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team last won at Austin Peay.

Southeast coach Scott Edgar figures that's long enough.

"I like to think you can win somewhere at least every 10 years," Edgar said. "I think it's our time."

The Redhawks will get an opportunity to finally win in Clarksville, Tenn., tonight as they face the Governors in a battle for the Ohio Valley Conference lead.

Defending regular-season champion Austin Peay (10-7, 6-1) and Southeast (11-6, 6-1) are tied for first place in the 11-team OVC entering the 7:30 p.m. tipoff.

"It should be a championship atmosphere," Edgar said.

Southeast has lost nine straight times at Austin Peay, the last win in Clarksville coming during the 1998-99 season.

Overall, Southeast is 1-12 in its last 13 meeting with the Govs. Southeast's most recent victory over Austin Peay was at the Show Me Center during the 2004-05 campaign.

The Redhawks almost broke through in both areas a year ago as Edgar's first Southeast squad nearly beat the Govs twice.

Southeast lost 68-67 in Clarksville as the Redhawks played without center Mike Rembert, who received an automatic one-game suspension after being ejected with two technical fouls during the previous contest.

The Redhawks fell 75-73 in Cape Girardeau as they were again without a key player -- point guard Roderick Pearson -- for the same reason.

"We almost won there last year," senior forward Brandon Foust said. "Hopefully we can pull it off."

Edgar said the way the Redhawks battled Austin Peay last year -- and the kind of season they're having so far -- should give them plenty of confidence, despite Monday's 79-51 home loss to Murray State.

"The players are over it, the staff is over it," said Edgar of Southeast's only OVC defeat so far. "I think we have confidence going in there. I'm sure they've improved, and I know we've improved."

Edgar knows it will take more than confidence to beat the Govs, who returned all five starters from last year's OVC championship team.

Austin Peay's headliner is junior forward Drake Reed, the reigning OVC player of the year.

Reed, a rugged 6 foot 5, 235-pounder, is the OVC's fifth-leading scorer at 15.5 points per game. He is ninth in the league in field-goal percentage (52.1).

But Edgar emphasized that the Govs -- who had a six-game winning streak snapped at Murray State on Thursday night -- are about more than Reed.

Three other Austin Peay players are scoring in double figures, including 6-3 sophomore guard Wes Channels at 12.2 points per game off the bench.

Fernandez Lockett, a 6-4 senior forward who averages 11.1 points and a team-high 6.2 rebounds, and 6-5 senior guard Todd Babington (10.5 ppg, team-high 44 3-pointers on 36.4-percent shooting) add more scoring punch.

Kyle Duncan, a 6-5 junior guard/forward, averages just 6.4 points, but is second in the OVC in 3-point shooting at 60.7 percent (17-of-28).

And Edgar considers quick 5-9 senior Derek Wright one of the OVC's more underrated point guards.

Wright, who averages 9.3 points, ranks fourth in the OVC in assist-to-turnover ratio (72 assists, 34 turnovers). He is fifth in assists and second in steals (46).

"They are a veteran team. ... It's just incredible the number of combined starts they have," Edgar said. "I think before the season they had 252 combined starts.

"They're good, they're talented, they're athletic. Reed is the player of the year. Babington is as good an open shooter as there is in the conference. Lockett is athletic. And I think they have maybe the most underrated point guard in the conference."

Austin Peay is second in the OVC in turnover margin, averaging a league-low 12.7 turnovers, while forcing an average of 17.2 turnovers.

But the Govs, with no regular contributor taller than 6-6, have had issues on the boards as they are being outrebounded by an average of 3.5 per game.

Southeast is the OVC's top rebounding team in conference play at plus 5.6.

"It will be a highly, highly competitive game," Edgar said.