SEMO FANS GETTING THEIR MONEY'S WORTH (SEMO NOTEBOOK)

Fans of Southeast Missouri State University basketball certainly can't say they're not getting their money's worth this season.

The Indians are not only having plenty of success in Ohio Valley Conference play -- their 7-4 record has them tied for third place in the 10-team league -- they're also keeping fans glued to the edges of their seats until the closing seconds.

Seven of the last eight Southeast games have been decided by four points or less, the latest thriller being Monday night's 73-72 win over co-leader Austin Peay that tightened up the OVC race considerably.

Prior to Monday's game, the Indians beat Tennessee State 78-75, lost to Eastern Illinois 65-61, lost at Murray State 77-75, lost at Tennessee Tech 86-82 and won at Middle Tennessee State 78-76.

The last lopsided game the Indians had -- win or lose -- was a 94-75 rout of Morehead State back on Jan. 13. But immediately prior to that, Southeast beat Eastern Kentucky 70-68 and knocked off Tennessee-Martin 82-72 in overtime.

"We're keeping things interesting, no question about it," said Southeast coach Ron Shumate with a laugh. "But that's basically the way the league is this year. There's so much parity. Any team can win on a given night."

* The OVC office is reportedly investigating an incident that occurred in the closing seconds Monday night.

Austin Peay missed three shots toward the end of the contest, and the Governors apparently thought they got fouled on a couple of those shots. As the buzzer sounded, several Austin Peay players appeared to rush the officials, who were quickly herded toward their dressing area by security personnel.

However, in the ensuing confusion, one security guard apparently wound up with a black eye, according to Southeast officials, although it is not clear if a punch was thrown or, if it was, who exactly threw it.

* The Indians are currently battling injuries at the point guard position.

Allen Hatchett, the starter, is bothered by tendinitis in his knee while Lakeo Keller, who spells Hatchett and plays quite a bit, has struggled all season long with a chipped bone in his foot. Hatchett hasn't missed any games while Keller has missed several.

"I told both guys (Monday night) that I don't want to hurt you if you can't go, but I need you," said Shumate. "They both said they could play. That's the type of players they are."

* While the Indians are still making their share of mistakes, Shumate said he marvels at the effort they're putting out.

"We're still making some mistakes, but our kids are playing extremely hard," he said. "We've really come together as a team. I'm really excited about that.

The Indians' coming together as a team has coincided with their finally being eligible for the OVC Tournament.

"We're off probation now and this is special," Shumate said. "Now we're back in the ballgame and we've got a chance. We may not win, but I promise you we'll play as hard as we can for 40 minutes.

"We've made a pact. The last seven games, we're going to play as hard as we can."

* Reggie Crisp, the lone senior on the team who was seeing limited action earlier in the season, has averaged 6.5 points and 6.5 rebounds as he has started the past two games.

Shumate said Crisp has been a steadying influence for the Indians.

"Reggie is becoming a leader for us, on and off the court," said Shumate. "I call him coach, because he's smarter than any of us. He's carrying almost a 4.0 (grade-point average) in engineering.

"He's a dream to coach. You only have to tell him something one time and he knows it."

* OVC leader Murray State will bring its 8-3 conference record to Cape Girardeau Thursday night as the Indians close out their four-game homestand with a first-place battle.

Austin Peay (8-4) is right behind the Racers while the Indians and Eastern Illinois (both 7-4) are just one game back.

Shumate said Thursday's contest, which will be televised by KBSI-Fox 23, is the biggest OVC game the Indians have played during their six years in the league.

"No question about that," he said. "It's a battle for first place in the OVC. Hopefully our fans will fill the place."

* Following Thursday's game, the Indians will hit the road early Friday for the OVC's `Death Valley' trip to Morehead State and Eastern Kentucky.