SEMO TO PLAY GAME IN TWA DOME

Southeast Missouri State University's basketball team is losing a home game for the coming season, but coach Gary Garner doesn't really mind.

That's because the Indians will have the rare opportunity to play at the Trans World Dome in St. Louis.

It was announced Friday, during a press conference at the Trans World Dome, that Southeast and Southern Illinois University will square off Dec. 28 in the first game of a doubleheader. The event is being called the `Earth Grains Basketball Classic.'

Southeast and SIU will tip things off at 5:30 p.m., with Saint Louis University and Kansas State playing at 8 p.m.

"It really should be an exciting game and event for our basketball program," said Garner. "This should give us great exposure in St. Louis."

The Indians were originally scheduled to play host to the Salukis from Carbondale this season, but Garner said the benefits of playing in the sparkling dome in St. Louis far outweigh the negative of losing the home date.

"A negative is that it's taking a home game away from us, but that's the only negative," Garner said. "Everything else is just so positive about the game.

"We really want to try and start recruiting the St. Louis area hard and this will really help get our name out there. Both schools have a lot of alumni in St. Louis and it's over Christmas break, so we should have a lot of fans going. I'm sure we'll have some buses going for our fans. It's really going to be an event for our basketball program."

The event will mark just the second time basketball has been played in the dome. SLU and Illinois played there last season before a crowd of 32,429, the biggest ever to see a basketball game in Missouri. SLU won 57-51.

Since SLU attracts plenty of fans on its own, and Southeast and SIU figure to bring their share of fans, a big crowd is expected.

"With the kind of success Saint Louis University had last year and with their big season ticket base, and with our fans and SIU's fans going to the game, there should really be a huge crowd," said Garner. "It should be a great atmosphere."

With Friday's announcement, Southeast's 1998-99 schedule is now set and it is certainly an attractive and extremely challenging one.

In addition to the 18 Ohio Valley Conference games -- Southeast faces all nine other league teams both at home and on the road -- the Indians have eight non-conference contests, three at home, four on the road and the one neutral-site game with SIU.

The home non-conference schedule is highlighted by a game against Louisiana Tech, the preseason Sun Belt Conference favorite. The Indians also face SIU-Edwardsville and Central Methodist at the Show Me Center.

Non-league opponents on the road are preseason Big 12 favorite Oklahoma State; Arkansas State, last year's Sun Belt Conference co-champion; Southwest Missouri State, which made the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament championship game last year; and Bradley of the Missouri Valley.

All told, the Indians will have 12 regular-season home games, plus two exhibition contests at the Show Me Center. The exhibition games will be against the Dreambuilders, a group of former collegians, and a foreign team.

"We're very excited about the 1998-99 season but we really face a tough non-conference schedule," said Garner. "Oklahoma State, Arkansas State and Southwest Missouri should all be extremely strong and Bradley is always so good at home. We play all of those games on the road. And Louisiana Tech will be very good.

"I'm happy that we're returning to regional rivalries with Southern Illinois, Southwest Missouri and Arkansas State. Southwest Missouri and Arkansas State will both be at the Show Me Center during the 1999-2000 season."

Garner expects the OVC schedule to be tough once again this season. Defending champion Murray State is expected to be the favorite, with several other squads close behind the Racers.

"I think the OVC will be improved from top to bottom this season," Garner said. "It will be very important for us to win our OVC home games in order to vie for one of the top spots in the league standings."

SEMO Basketball

1998-99 Schedule

(Home games in capital letters)

Nov. 5 -- DREAMBUILDERS (exhibition), 7:30 p.m.

Nov. 9 -- SPORT TOURS (exhibition), 7:30 p.m.

Nov. 14 -- SIU-EDWARDSVILLE, 7:30 p.m.

Nov. 17 -- Bradley, 7:05 p.m.

Nov. 20 -- CENTRAL METHODIST, 7:30 p.m.

Nov. 23 -- LOUISIANA TECH, 7:30 p.m.

Nov. 28 -- Oklahoma State, 7:05 p.m.

Dec. 3 -- Austin Peay, 7:45 p.m.

Dec. 5 -- Tennessee State, 7:30 p.m.

Dec. 8 -- Arkansas State, 7:30 p.m.

Dec. 10 -- EASTERN KENTUCKY, 7:30 p.m.

Dec. 22 -- Southwest Missouri State, 7:05 p.m.

Dec. 28 -- SIU-Carbondale (TWA Dome), 5:30 p.m.

Jan. 4 -- MOREHEAD STATE, 7:30 p.m.

Jan. 7 -- Middle Tennessee State, 7 p.m.

Jan. 9 -- Tennessee Tech, 7:45 p.m.

Jan. 12 -- AUSTIN PEAY, 7:30 p.m.

Jan. 14 -- MURRAY STATE, 7:30 p.m.

Jan. 16 -- TENNESSEE-MARTIN, 7:30 p.m.

Jan. 23 -- Eastern Illinois, 7:05 p.m.

Jan. 30 -- Morehead State, TBA

Feb. 2 -- TENNESSEE STATE, 7:30 p.m.

Feb. 4 -- MIDDLE TENNESSEE STATE, 7:30 p.m.

Feb. 6 -- TENNESSEE TECH, 7:30 p.m.

Feb. 11 -- Murray State, 7:30 p.m.

Feb. 13 -- Tennessee-Martin, 7:30 p.m.

Feb. 16 -- Eastern Kentucky, 7:30 p.m.

Feb. 20 -- EASTERN ILLINOIS, 7:30 p.m.