SE MAKES BRADLEY DO BADLY; INDIANS UPSET BRAVES 79-71

Bradley head coach Jim Molinari argued a call late in the second half Wednesday at the Show Me Center before getting ejected in the Indians' 79-71 upset of the Braves.

Just three games into the Gary Garner era and Southeast Missouri State University's basketball Indians already have one of their biggest victories on the Division I level.

Southeast's impressive 79-71 triumph over Bradley Wednesday night left the 5,193 fans on hand at the Show Me Center elated and left Garner and his team feeling mighty good about themselves.

As well they should have. Garner, in his first season with the Indians after an impressive run that has featured Division I success at Drake and Division II mega-success at Fort Hays St., ranked Wednesday's win right up there with some of the other notable ones in his coaching career.

"It's not the biggest, but it's a big win. Hopefully we can build on this," said Garner, who added that personally, "it's real satisfying. It's the first big win since I've been back at Division I."

For that, Garner gave the credit to his players, who withstood one Bradley charge after another and showed tremendous composure in raising their record to 2-1.

Bradley fell to 1-3, but the Braves' other two losses were narrow road setbacks at Illinois and Butler, two teams that made the NCAA Tournament last season.

"We beat a very good and a very well coached basketball team tonight," Garner said. "Boy, we played hard. All the kids just gave their hearts."

Not to get too carried away so early in the season, but the victory over perennial Missouri Valley Conference power Bradley is definitely one of top non-conference wins Southeast has had since making the move up to Division I seven years ago.

The only win that might come close is a victory over Wisconsin-Green Bay during the 1992-93 season, Southeast's second year in Division I. At the time UW-Green Bay was a perennial NIT or NCAA participant under coach Dick Bennett, who is now at Wisconsin.

"This is the biggest win since I've been at SEMO," said senior center Bud Eley. "It feels good. We thought we could beat them."

Said senior forward Calvert White, "It's a real big win. This will definitely open up eyes (in the Ohio Valley Conference). This will show we're a team to beat."

The 6-foot-10 Eley led the Indians offensively with 21 points. Also scoring in double figures were White (15), David Montgomery (13) and Cory Johnson (10). White led the rebounders with eight while Eley had seven.

Point guard Kahn Cotton, while scoring only four points, ran a strong floor game and had a team-high four assists.

Dewayne Saulsberry came off the bench to hit two big three-pointers in the first half and score six points. Demetrius Watson (six points) and Travis Smith (four points) also contributed strong play off the bench.

"I'm really proud of all of them," said Garner. "Bud had a great game and Calvert hit some huge shots. So did David. And Kahn was only one for five (from the field) but he did so many other things."

Bradley got 20 points from 6-8 center Adebayo Akinkunle. Rob Dye (12) and Ed Cage (11) were also in double figures.

The Indians started strong and led 15-8 in the early going. But Bradley came back to go ahead 26-20 and appeared to take control of the game.

Southeast, however, refused to buckle. The Indians came back to grab the lead late in the first half on two Smith free throws and then Saulsberry nailed a three-pointer at the buzzer. With the Show Me Center crowd roaring, Southeast took a 35-31 edge into the break.

"That three by Dewayne at the end of the first half was huge," Garner said.

The Indians came out strong to start the second half, getting three-pointers from Johnson and Cotton and a basket from Eley in the first three minutes to open up a 43-31 lead.

Then it was Bradley's turn to surge as the Braves used a 20-7 run to go ahead 51-50 at the midway point. But again the Indians refused to wilt.

"We had an answer every time they made a run," said Garner. "And it was different people."

After the lead changed hands twice, Southeast went ahead for good when White drilled a 10-footer with 8:52 left, putting the Indians ahead 54-53.

Southeast was clinging to a 64-61 lead when Eley hit a follow shot and free throw at the 2:22 mark to make it 67-61.

The Indians put the game away by virtue of a sequence that began with 1:42 left. That's when Montgomery rammed home a follow dunk of an Eley miss to put Southeast up 69-63.

Bradley coach Jim Molinari came unglued at that point, apparently thinking Montgomery had committed offensive goaltending. Molinari was hit with two technicals and ejected at the 1:34 mark.

Johnson made two of four free throws on the technicals, then it was Southeast's ball and White hit one of two foul shots on that possession. All of a sudden it was 72-63.

Montgomery, Johnson and White all hit two free throws in the closing moments as the Indians cruised home.

"David's dunk was great," White said. "They were starting to make a run and that really boosted us."

The win certainly boosted the Indians in general. Now they'll try and make sure they don't have a lapse when Division II Oakland City visits the Show Me Center Saturday night.

"We just can't let down," said Eley.