Redhawks hit new low in loss to Colonels

~ Southeast's 29-point defeat at EKU ran its losing streak to 10 games and was its largest loss of the season.

RICHMOND, Ky. -- Despite suffering through its longest losing streak on the Division I level, Southeast Missouri State had at least avoided getting beat badly.

Until Saturday.

Eastern Kentucky, mired in a slide of its own, found Southeast to be just the right tonic, as the host Colonels mauled the Redhawks 80-51.

Southeast, which scored only 17 first-half points, lost for the 10th straight time. The Redhawks (6-17, 3-14) remained last in the 11-team Ohio Valley Conference and were finally mathematically eliminated from having a chance to make the eight-team OVC tournament.

EKU (11-13, 8-8) handed the shorthanded Redhawks by far their worst defeat during the losing streak, which had previously featured no margin of more than 13 points and five margins of seven points or less.

It also was the Redhawks' biggest losing margin of the entire season, surpassing a 25-point defeat at Illinois. In addition, Southeast scored its fewest points of the season, the previous low being 53 in a setback at OVC member Samford.

"You're disappointed any time you get beat by 29 points," said Southeast coach Gary Garner, whose squad continues to operate with just seven available scholarship players. "We haven't given up. We haven't stopped fighting. But they just really put it to us today."

The Colonels carved up Southeast's defense to the tune of 50.8 percent shooting (30 of 59), which featured numerous dunks, layups and other baskets from in close.

"This game was really important for our team. We needed it in a bad way," said EKU coach Jeff Neubauer, whose squad snapped a four-game losing streak. "We really played well as a team. We shared the ball well. We had 17 assists and only four turnovers, which is really a good sign."

EKU had no trouble getting back in the win column. The Colonels scored the first six points, led 21-10 midway through the opening half and carried a 40-17 advantage into the break.

The Colonels hit 15 of 25 first-half shots (60 percent), while the Redhawks made just 6 of 27 (22.2 percent).

"We dug ourselves a big hole," Garner said. "It's hard to come back any time, and when you're as limited as we are right now, it's really tough."

Southeast never threatened to make a game of it in the second half. The closest the Redhawks came was 52-35 with a little more than 12 minutes remaining.

EKU scored the next eight points to go ahead 60-35, and the Colonels' lead never dipped under 21 points the rest of the way. Their biggest advantage was 78-42.

"We had a bad game, and Eastern Kentucky played really good," Southeast senior guard Roy Booker said. "We fell behind early and they never let us get back in it."

Booker, the OVC's leading scorer at 22.5 points per contest, put in a game-high 23 points. He also grabbed eight rebounds.

Sophomore point guard Paul Paradoski added 10 points and four assists. Senior center Waylon Francis pulled down nine rebounds.

Senior guard Jason McLeish paced EKU with 20 points.

The Colonels outscored Southeast 44-16 in the paint, and had a 22-2 edge in points off turnovers. The Redhawks turned the ball over 15 times, 11 in the first half.

Southeast didn't help itself by continuing its season-long offensive struggles. The Redhawks finished the game shooting 32.1 percent (18 of 56), and made just 6 of 23 3-pointers (26.1 percent).

"That's been our story all year," Garner said.

Now the Redhawks will see if they can stay motivated the rest of the season even though they can no longer qualify for the OVC tournament. Southeast has four games remaining, including three league contests. Those OVC games are all at home.

"Hopefully we can regroup," Garner said.