SE PLAYERS ENDURED LONG DAY OF TRAVEL

MISSOULA, Mont. -- Southeast Missouri State University's men's basketball team spent most of Wednesday traveling to the University of Montana Tournament.

When the Indians arrived in Missoula at around 11 p.m. local time, they were greeted by several inches of snow and temperatures that dipped into the high teens.

"It's a lot different than when we left Cape," said senior center Brian Bunche with a laugh.

But the good news was that virtually all of the snow had already had fallen long before the Southeast travel party arrived in Missoula, although there were flurries Thursday and the possibility of more snow was forecast for the weekend.

* There is no real easy way to get to Missoula.

Southeast's travel party left Cape Girardeau at about 1:45 p.m. Wednesday and bused to Lambert Field in St. Louis.

The Indians flew from St. Louis to Minneapolis and, after a layover of about 90 minutes, took a different plane to Missoula.

* All four tournament teams practiced Thursday at the newly renovated Adams Center, which seats 7,500.

Southeast went through a workout from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m.

"It's a really nice place," said Southeast coach Gary Garner.

* The four squads will have shorter workouts today -- primarily shootarounds -- leading up to tonight's first-round games.

Also today, all the teams will attend a tournament luncheon at the Double Tree Hotel, which is where the squads are staying. The Double Tree serves as tourney headquarters.

* The Indians really won't have time to take in much of the local scenery.

Garner was asked how he feels about letting his players enjoy the surroundings when they travel to a place they've never been before.

"If we were getting in there a few days early, maybe," he said. "But I'm not much for scenery and things like that. Maybe I'm old fashioned, but we're here to win."

Added Garner with a laugh, "They (his players) can take all the vacations they want after they graduate."

* The Robert Morris squad certainly didn't get much sleep Wednesday night.

Robert Morris, located in Philadelphia, played Pittsburgh Wednesday night, then had to leave bright and early Thursday for its scheduled 1:25 p.m. arrival in Missoula.

* If Southeast ends up playing Idaho either in the finals or third-place game tonight, Vandals' coach Dave Farrar might feel right at home.

Farrar formerly coached at Middle Tennessee State, which competes with Southeast in the Ohio Valley Conference. Farrar's Raider teams were 5-5 against the Indians.

* A Southeast matchup with Robert Morris would pit Garner against a coach he's gone up against before.

Garner and Jim Boone of Robert Morris both had their teams in the 1996 NCAA Division II Elite Eight in Louisville, with Garner's Fort Hays (Kan.) squad beating Boone's California (Pa.) club in the semifinals.