Southeast men skid into Racers

So far the Murray State men's basketball team has not played like the preseason Ohio Valley Conference favorite.

That doesn't mean Southeast Missouri State will find a soft touch tonight as the Redhawks try to break a nine-game losing streak.

The reeling Redhawks (3-17, 0-9) and tradition-rich Racers (9-9, 4-4) square off at 7:30 p.m. at the Regional Special Events Center in Murray, Ky.

"They're struggling a little bit for their standards in the OVC," Southeast acting coach Zac Roman said. "But they're still a good team and they're going to be a tough matchup for us."

Everybody is a tough matchup this season for the shorthanded Redhawks, who have compiled the program's second-longest losing streak since moving up to Division I in the 1991-92 campaign.

Only Southeast's 2005-06 squad, which suffered 12 straight defeats, has dropped more consecutive games than the current Redhawks.

Overall, Southeast has lost 22 of its past 23 OVC games dating back to last season, including 16 straight.

Roman thought the Redhawks might have turned the corner with their play during a recent four-game homestand that included the final two losses by a combined nine points.

But Roman felt the Redhawks took a step back in Thursday's 86-73 defeat at Tennessee-Martin. Southeast trailed by 25 points with under 5 minutes left before UTM cleared its bench.

MSU is tied for fifth place in the 10-team OVC after Thursday's 58-46 home victory over Eastern Illinois.

The Racers played five of their first seven conference games on the road, which might have contributed to their slow start in the league.

But there never has been anything wrong with MSU's home performances.

MSU is 125-24 in 10-plus seasons since the Regional Special Events Center opened. That includes a 6-1 mark this season, the lone loss being a one-point setback to first-place Austin Peay.

"Going to their place, it's a great atmosphere for college basketball," Roman said. "They always play so well at home."

The Racers have captured a conference record 20 OVC regular-season titles and are riding a streak of 21 straight winning seasons.

"They've got a great program," Roman said.

Southeast has taken its share of lumps from the Racers over the years as MSU leads the series 43-16, including three straight wins.

The Redhawks have a fairly recent victory in Murray -- 96-85 during the 2006-07 campaign -- and lost 86-85 on the Racers' court last season.

That one-point setback a year ago had an interesting subplot.

Roman, then in his first season as a Southeast assistant, was designated as the Redhawks' lead coach while Scott Edgar served a one-game OVC-mandated suspension.

Roman has run the Redhawks this season after Edgar initially was placed on administrative leave and later had his contract terminated for alleged NCAA rules violations.

"That will be interesting," said Roman of his return to Murray.

MSU has been a defense-oriented team under third-year coach Billy Kennedy.

The Racers are allowing the fewest points in the OVC -- 63.7 per game -- although they also are last in scoring with a 66.2 average. MSU is second in field-goal defense at 42.2 percent.

Danero Thomas, a 6-foot-4 junior wing, leads the Racers with 11.2 points per game, although he is averaging just nine points in OVC play.

Sophomore guard Isacc Miles, a transfer from Creighton, is averaging 10.4 points and a team-leading 13 points in league games.

Miles made the Missouri Valley Conference all-freshmen team in 2006-07 before leaving Creighton.

Maxwell won't play

The Redhawks will have only seven scholarship players available tonight.

Sophomore forward Jajuan Maxwell will miss his second straight game with a back injury.

Maxwell has a possible stress fracture in his back.