Redhawks start slow, finish fast

With only four returning players, Southeast Missouri State basketball coach Gary Garner expects the Redhawks to have their share of early-season growing pains.

To Southeast fans, most of the first half of Friday night's exhibition opener must have been painful to watch.

But the Redhawks also displayed some of the potential that has Garner excited, as they recovered to ease past Division II Missouri-St. Louis 89-76 at the Show Me Center.

"We started off real slow, and they came out real intense," Southeast junior guard Terrick Willoughby said. "Coach says all the time that when you play a Division II team, it's their Super Bowl."

Considering that the Redhawks lost to Division II Harding (Ark.) last exhibition season, they were happy to come away with a comfortable victory, even though UMSL led by 12 points late in the first half.

"These exhibition games are tough, because a Division II team is really going to get up for you, and UMSL has some pretty good players," Garner said. "I think we started off tentative, but it's always good when you can win. With so many new players, it's just going to take time."

Willoughby, Southeast's top returning scorer from last year at 9.8 points per game, showed that he might be primed for the breakout season that Garner expects.

Willoughby struggled a bit with his shooting early, but he wound up scoring a game-high 24 points, 16 coming in the second half. He hit nine of 14 shots from the field, including five of eight 3-pointers. He made four of his five second-half 3-point attempts.

"I started off slow with my shot, but after that I felt pretty good," said Willoughby, second in the Ohio Valley Conference in 3-point shooting percentage last year.

Senior guard Roy Booker, a touted Montana transfer, struggled with his shooting all game long but still managed to score 18 points and dish out four assists. Booker hit five of 17 field goals.

"I think Roy was tight," Garner said. "We've built him up pretty good, and I know he wanted to show the fans what kind of player he is."

Garner was beaming about the play of senior center Ketshner Guerrier, who missed all but six games last year with a knee injury. Guerrier hit all six of his shots from the field and scored 15 points, while also grabbing a game-high 11 rebounds.

"I think Ketshner's rebounding was the biggest positive tonight," Garner said.

Another positive was the play of junior college transfer forward Andrais Thornton, who is being counted on to strengthen the Redhawks' inside game.

Thornton scored 12 points as he hit six of nine field goals, and he pulled down 10 rebounds.

"He's a natural rebounder," Garner said.

Said Thornton: "I'm just trying to rebound and defend, be an inside presence."

Sophomore point guard Paul Paradoski, who joins Willoughby as Southeast's only returning starters, had 11 assists and seven points.

Junior college transfer guard Eric Burtin shook off a slow start to score nine points -- all in the second half -- and senior center Waylon Francis, the final returning player, added eight rebounds as Southeast controlled the boards 48-33.

Southeast, which trailed by 12 points with less than 4 minutes left in the first half, never led until Guerrier's three-point play with 11 seconds remaining that put the Redhawks up 39-38 at the break.

The Redhawks never lost the lead, using a 14-0 run early in the second half that helped propel them to a 20-point advantage. UMSL got no closer than 12 points the rest of the way.

Southeast shot 57.1 percent from the field in the final period (20 of 35), and 50.8 percent in the game (33 of 65). UMSL shot 40.9 percent (27 of 66).

"Even though it's an exhibition, it's always important to win," Willoughby said. "You don't get anything out of losing."

Jonathan Griffin led UMSL with 19 points, and Troy Slaten had 15.

Southeast hosts Arkansas Tech on Nov. 12 in its final exhibition game.