Redhawks slump along with their primary outside threat

Southeast Missouri State acting coach Zac Roman knew entering the season that the Redhawks would have little margin for error.

The general consensus was that if the Redhawks hoped to have success, their acknowledged big three of junior center Calvin Williams, senior forward Jaycen Herring and senior guard Kenard Moore would have to be clicking at the same time.

So far that rarely has happened, which is one of the reasons the Redhawks are 2-6 overall and 0-2 in Ohio Valley Conference play.

While Williams has been Southeast's most consistent player and Herring generally has been solid, Moore has struggled with his 3-point shooting -- the staple of his game.

With junior guard Jimmy Drew continuing to be sidelined by a foot injury -- he has not yet seen any action -- Moore is Southeast's only legitimate 3-point threat.

ELIZABETH DODD ~ edodd@semissourian.comSoutheast Missouri State guard Kenard Moore hit two of his eight 3-point attempts during Thursday's loss to Austin Peay, and missed all seven of his attempts from behind the arc in Saturday's loss to Tennessee State. As a team, Southeast is shooting an OVC-worst 25.2 percent from 3-point range.

Moore hit a solid 39.1 percent of his 3-point attempts last season after transferring from junior college. He averaged 10.4 points per game to rank third on the team.

Although Moore is averaging 14.8 points -- behind Williams' team-leading 16.8 and just ahead of Herring's 14.1 -- he is shooting only 27.3 percent from 3-point range (21 of 77).

"This is the first time I've seen him struggle like this," Roman said Monday.

Moore especially has struggled in his last three games, making 4 of 28 from beyond the arc (14.3 percent).

In Southeast's two OVC games, a 91-67 home loss to Austin Peay on Thursday and an 83-72 home loss to Tennessee State on Saturday, Moore was 2 of 15 from long range (13.3 percent).

ELIZABETH DODD ~ edodd@semissourian.comSoutheast Missouri State's Kenard Moore dribbles down court during the second half at the Show Me Center Thursday.

But Roman said he remains confident in Moore and believes it's only a matter of time before he regains his shooting touch.

"He's feeling some pressure understandably. But he's going to be fine. He'll snap out of it," Roman said. "Like I told Kenard during the Tennessee State game, once he makes that first one, he'll make four or five in a row."

The 3-point line being moved back one foot for men's college teams this season -- from 19 feet, 9 inches to 20-9 -- might be affecting some shooters, but it likely hasn't had an impact on Moore.

That's because Moore seemingly has unlimited range and often lets fly from several feet beyond the arc anyway.

Roman said for the most part he hasn't had any problem with Moore's shot selection. The Tennessee State contest, in which Moore missed all seven of his 3-pointers, was an example.

CHUCK WU ~ cwu@semissourian.comKenard Moore draws the foul on MacMurray's Travis Johnson.

"He might have taken one shot that was a little too deep. The other six shots I want him to take," Roman said. "Of course, everybody knows he's our 3-point threat. They're flying at him."

As a team, Southeast ranks last in the OVC in 3-point field-goal percentage at 25.2. The Redhawks have made 33 of 131 from beyond the arc, with Moore accounting for all but 54 of the attempts and all but 12 of the baskets.

The return of Drew, Southeast's top 3-point shooter last year at 40.3 percent -- although in far fewer attempts than Moore -- would help keep opposing defenses from focusing solely on Moore as a long-range threat.

"Kenard's our only true 3-point threat right now," Roman said. "Hopefully we'll get him [Drew] back soon. It would help spread the defense."

Roman said Drew remains day-to-day.

"He's started some new medication. We'll go from there," Roman said.

While Roman acknowledged that it would aid the Redhawks' chances if Moore heated up, he said they are capable of winning even when Moore struggles.

"It's not all on Kenard," Roman said. "If he's not having a good game, can we win? Of course. But it would help."

Even with Moore scoring only six points against Tennessee State, the Redhawks placed four players in double figures.

"That should be enough to win," Roman said.

Roman also emphasized that Moore's struggles from long range have been far from Southeast's only problem to this point in the season.

The Redhawks are also last in the league in overall field-goal shooting at 40 percent, although Williams ranks third at 60.3 percent.

In addition, Southeast is last in the league in field-goal defense at 46 percent, last in scoring defense at 80.9 points per game and last in turnover margin.

"We have a lot of stuff to work on obviously," Roman said. "We just have to get better."

Roman was encouraged by the Redhawks' performance against Tennessee State, after they were blown out from start to finish by Austin Peay.

"I thought there were a lot of positives in the Tennessee State game," he said. "Our defense was a little better. Offensively we shared the ball better."

The Redhawks will try to continue their improvement Wednesday when they play a 7 p.m. nonconference game at Western Illinois (3-5).

That's the start of five straight nonleague games for the Redhawks before they resume OVC play Jan. 3, including Sunday's contest at Bradley.

Noteworthy

• Williams, who has been by far Southeast's top individual bright spot, is averaging 16.8 points and 7.2 rebounds to rank sixth and seventh in the OVC, respectively.

"He's playing with a lot of confidence," Roman said. "He's so active. ... he wants to be good."