Redhawks men open OVC play with impressive showing

The Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team picked a good time to put together arguably its best 40-minute performance of the season.

Southeast was impressive during Wednesday night's 67-51 rout of visiting Morehead State in its Ohio Valley Conference opener.

The Redhawks' offense has been fairly consistent all season, but the defense has displayed major holes during much of the campaign.

That changed Wednesday. The Redhawks' defense locked down Morehead while they continued to thrive offensively. They also rebounded well.

The Redhawks have had enough strong performances to show me they've got sufficient talent to make plenty of noise in the OVC this season.

What Southeast hasn't displayed yet is the consistency, especially on defense, needed to make that happen. Time will tell if the Redhawks find it.

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The OVC men's basketball season is off to a wild and wacky start.

Undefeated Murray State, which is ranked nationally, already is 2-0 in conference play after Friday's 73-40 romp at Eastern Illinois, while the top two preseason picks lost their OVC openers.

Preseason favorite Austin Peay squandered a nine-point lead with four minutes left and fell 67-65 at Eastern Kentucky on Thursday, the same night that No. 2 Tennessee Tech was stunned 83-68 at first-year OVC member SIU-Edwardsville.

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Southeast's 2012 football schedule is close to being set.

The Redhawks' annual "money" game to generate revenue for the athletic department will be at Central Michigan of the Mid-American Conference in the season opener.

Central Michigan has been strong in recent years but went just 3-9 overall and 2-6 in the MAC this season.

Southeast also will visit Southern Illinois to continue that regional series. A non-Division I opponent to round out the nonconference schedule has not yet been finalized.

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Another Southeast Missourian Christmas tournament is in the books following Friday's finals at the Show Me Center.

This year's 67th edition of the 16-team boys basketball event was interesting because there appeared to be no dominant squad, unlike the last few seasons when Scott County Central blitzed the field.

Top-seeded Charleston came away with the title, beating second-seeded Notre Dame 58-50 in the championship game.

The Bluejays captured their tournament-record 16th championship but first since 2002.

The tournament was filled with its usual share of senior standouts, including Charleston guard Greg Tucker, who is headed to Division I Northern Colorado, and Central forward T.J. Tisdell, who also likely will play college hoops.

Quite a few promising sophomores also flashed their considerable potential, most notably Jackson 6-foot-5 guard/forward Karson King. King could emerge as a Division I prospect down the line with his size and all-around skills.

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My condolences go out to the family and countless friends of legendary former Scott City High School football coach William Wilthong, who died Tuesday.

Wilthong was among the first coaches I got to know well after starting work at the Southeast Missourian in 1984. I admired and respected him over the years and always enjoyed catching up with him in the press box at Rams football games.

He was a great guy and I never heard anybody say a bad word about him.

Rest in peace, Coach Wil.

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Happy birthday to my good buddy and local baseball legend John "Doc" Yallaly, who turned 80 on Friday.

Yallaly, one of Cape Girardeau's all-time most beloved sports personalities, managed the Ford & Sons American Legion baseball team for 40 years and still is involved heavily with the program.

Marty Mishow is a sports writer for the Southeast Missourian