Redhawks set focus on making tourney

~ Southeast will play six of its final nine conference games at home.

If the season ended today, Southeast Missouri State's men would not qualify for the Ohio Valley Conference tournament.

For the Redhawks, their postseason hopes will rest on how well they can take advantage of a favorable home schedule the rest of the way.

After playing seven of their first 11 OVC games on the road, the Redhawks (6-11, 3-8) have six of their final nine conference contests at the Show Me Center.

A two-game homestand this week begins with Thursday's 7:30 p.m. tipoff against last-place Morehead State (1-15, 0-10), followed by Saturday's 3 p.m. matchup against Murray State (11-5, 8-2) that will be televised nationally by ESPN2.

"We really have to take advantage of these games at home," Southeast coach Gary Garner said during his weekly media conference Monday. "We knew coming into the year that the first half of our conference schedule would be tougher than the second half."

A season-high four-game losing streak has dropped the Redhawks into ninth place in the 11-team OVC, with just the top eight finishers qualifying for the league's postseason tournament.

While hopes of a top-four finish -- which means a first-round tournament home game -- have all but been extinguished, the Redhawks are just one game out of eighth place.

"What we've got to do is try to get in the tournament," Garner said. "There will be teams beating each other. We've got to win our share of home games, hopefully win them all, but we have to take it one game at a time starting with Morehead State."

Injury, depth update

After junior guard Eric Burtin was lost for the season by fracturing his right leg during Thursday's 68-63 loss at Tennessee State, junior forward Andrais Thornton played only one second-half minute during Saturday's 87-76 loss at Tennessee Tech because of back spasms.

Garner said Thornton, the Redhawks' leading rebounder, had improved considerably by Monday and should be in the starting lineup against Morehead State.

"He's not over it, but he's a lot better," Garner said. "I feel confident he'll be ready to go Thursday."

With Burtin being lost for the season -- along with junior guard David Johnson, who played in only three games before having hernia surgery -- the Redhawks are down to eight available scholarship players.

In some cases, Garner said that wouldn't really pose a problem, as long as the positions of the eight were fairly varied.

But seniors Waylon Francis and Ketshner Guerrier, along with junior Tyrell White, are basically limited to playing the 5 -- or center -- position, which severely hampers the Redhawks' depth.

"If it was perfect by position, eight would be fine. You generally don't go much deeper than eight or nine in your normal rotation," Garner said. "But those three players are strictly 5 men. Ketshner is the closest to being able to player either the 4 [power forward] or 5, so we'll have to play him some at the 4."

With depth limited, Garner said it becomes extra important for the Redhawks' to stay out of foul trouble.

"That's something we're really emphasizing in practice, no cheap fouls. We can't really have a dumb foul," Garner said.