Southeast men have dropped four straight games

~ The 6-0 start in the Ohio Valley Conference is a distant memory now.

The Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team is down, but not out, as the Redhawks begin the second half of their Ohio Valley Conference schedule.

After winning their first six OVC games for just the second time in program history, the Redhawks have now lost four straight.

The Redhawks (11-9, 6-4) will try to break out of their funk tonight when improved Morehead State (8-9, 6-4) visits the Show Me Center for a 7:30 p.m. tipoff.

At the midway point of their 20-game conference schedule, the Redhawks still are positioned nicely for a run at a top-four finish, which means a first-round OVC tournament home game.

Southeast's Mike Rembert tried to stop Tennessee Tech's Daniel Northern earlier this season at the Show Me Center. (Aaron Eisenhauer)

Southeast has fallen three games behind first-place Austin Peay in the loss column, but the Redhawks are still in a three-way tie for third place and one-half game behind second-place Murray State, which they visit Saturday.

"We just have to keep working hard and come together as a team," sophomore point guard Roderick Pearson said.

What gives Southeast coach Scott Edgar hope for the second half of the OVC schedule is that the Redhawks have six of their final 10 league games at home, after playing six of their first 10 on the road.

Three of Southeast's next four contests are at the Show Me Center.

In addition, the Redhawks already have played six games against teams in the top six in the OVC standings. Those four squads all have winning league records.

Southeast point guard Roderick Pearson averages 10.4 points per game. (Aaron Eisenhauer)

Southeast is 2-4 in those contests, while winning all four of its games against teams in the bottom half of the OVC.

"I think the first half of our conference schedule has been very challenging," Edgar said.

Still, Edgar knows the Redhawks need to start getting back to the type of play that marked their 6-0 OVC start.

Southeast recently has struggled with its shooting, defensive and on the boards, areas that were strengths during its winning streak.

"I think we've got to get back to being solid in all the areas -- offense, defensive transition and defense," Edgar said. "As we were playing good, I kept saying it all goes hand in hand."

The Redhawks have allowed at least 85 points in their last three games -- all on the road. During their four-game slide, they have been outscored by an average of 15 points.

Part of the losing streak has coincided with the loss of senior forward Brandon Foust, the squad's top all-around player who suffered a season-ending knee injury during an 85-82 defeat at Austin Peay on Jan. 12.

The Redhawks have lost twice by an average of 14.5 points since Foust went down.

"We miss Brandon, but we just have to pull together as a team," Edgar said.

The Redhawks also have had the playing time of their top 3-point shooter limited because of an injury.

Sophomore guard Jimmy Drew, fifth in the OVC at 44.9 percent from beyond the arc (22-of-49), played only two minutes during Saturday's 93-76 loss at Tennessee Tech because of a foot problem.

Edgar said Drew has been "working within limitations" at practice this week, and he's hopeful Drew will play tonight.

Morehead State figures to provide Southeast a stern challenge, although the Eagles have won just one of 10 road games.

But the Eagles' current four-game winning streak -- their longest since the 2002-03 season, when they were OVC co-champions -- included that lone road victory.

"Morehead is a very, very good team. They're probably the hottest team in the league right now," Edgar said.

The Eagles were picked 10th among 11 OVC squads in the preseason poll, but are in the three-way tie for third place, along with Southeast.

Morehead State features a balanced offensive attack, with four players averaging between 10.1 and 12.9 points.

"You always want to defend the home turf, no matter what conference you're in," Edgar said. "But it will be like any other OVC game, it will be extremely competitive."