Redhawks try to end OVC skid

~ Southeast will try to snap a two-game losing streak at Tennessee-Martin.

Southeast Missouri State figures to confront a desperate Tennessee-Martin team tonight.

That's because about the only realistic chance the Skyhawks have of making the Ohio Valley Conference tournament hinges on beating the Redhawks in the 6 p.m. tipoff in Martin, Tenn.

UTM (6-19, 4-11) stands 10th in the 11-team conference, and only the top eight squads qualify for the league tournament. Southeast (8-15, 6-8) is tied for seventh place.

A loss tonight would put UTM four games in the loss column out of that eighth spot, and the Skyhawks would only have four OVC games remaining.

So realistically, if the Skyhawks don't beat Southeast, their tournament hopes would be all but over.

"I know they'll throw everything they've got at us," Southeast coach Scott Edgar said.

Of course, the Redhawks are probably fairly desperate for a victory themselves.

After winning five of seven games to place themselves squarely in position for a potential top-four OVC finish and a home date for the first-round of the league tournament, the Redhawks have lost two straight.

All of a sudden, placing in the top four is a real long shot for Southeast. The Redhawks' first objective is simply making the tournament, and then trying to get as high a seed as possible.

"There's still a lot of basketball left to be played and a lot of things can still happen," Edgar said.

The Redhawks, who play four of their final six OVC games on the road, can take solace in the fact they have been better away from home.

Southeast is 3-3 in conference road games but only 3-5 at the Show Me Center. The Redhawks have lost their last three OVC home contests, but they're 3-1 in their last four league road tests.

"We have played very well on the road," Edgar said.

Edgar expects a challenge from UTM tonight -- and not just because the Skyhawks need a win so badly.

When the teams opened their OVC schedules at the Show Me Center on Dec. 2, UTM held a 14-point lead with under 12 minutes remaining.

But Southeast staged a major rally to squeeze out an 81-79 victory, taking the lead for good with under a minute left.

"Martin is good. They're a very talented team," Edgar said. "And they've got the tallest team in the league. The first time we played them, they had three 6-9 guys on the court at the same time a lot."

Two of those players who stand 6-foot-9 are the Skyhawks' leading scorers.

Junior forward Gerald Robinson averages 11.3 points per contest. Senior center Cleve Woodfork average 9.9.

Robinson, a junior college transfer, had 19 points in the earlier meeting with Southeast.

Despite his size, Robinson is a solid 3-point shooter at 40.2 percent (35 of 87).

"They've got some very skilled big guys," Edgar said.

Even though Southeast has lost two straight and three of its last four, the Redhawks have shown the ability to bounce back from tough defeats most of the season.

Edgar hopes that again proves to be the case tonight as Southeast is coming off Monday's 75-73 home loss to Austin Peay.

"We have been a very resilient team," he said.

Junior center Mike Rembert said the Redhawks' confidence has not wavered, even as the narrow losses have mounted.

Southeast has suffered six of its eight OVC defeats by a total of 17 points, with five of them by 10 points.

"We're a good team, and we're one or two possessions away from being a great team," he said.

As many down-to-the-wire games as the Redhawks have participated in, Edgar said he wouldn't be surprised if tonight's contest follows that trend. He just hopes this time the Redhawks come out on the winning end.

"We'll have to play well down there to win," he said. "But every team in this league has to play well to win. You can't show up, not play well and be victorious."