Southeast men's basketball team could clinch OVC tourney spot Thurday night

The phrase "there's no tomorrow" has become the motto of the Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team.

With the Redhawks battling with Austin Peay and Eastern Illinois for one of two remaining spots in the field of eight teams that will make it to the Ohio Valley Conference tournament, they realize what's at stake but also the importance of focusing on the game that's directly in front of them and not what awaits down the road.

That next game just happens to be against Austin Peay (11-17, 5-9 OVC) at 7 p.m. today at the Show Me Center, which puts Southeast in control of its fate for the time being.

Southeast can clinch a berth in the OVC tournament for the fourth consecutive year if it can come up with a win against the Governors.

"We haven't been pressing. We just know we have to go in tomorrow, and we have to win this game," Southeast senior forward Tyler Stone said before his team's practice on Wednesday. "I mean, there's no tomorrow, so we've got to play like it. We have nothing to lose, everything to gain."

Even with a loss, Southeast (15-13, 6-8 OVC) would not be eliminated from the postseason, but it would need help from some other teams.

The Govs defeated Southeast 80-74 in the Redhawks' second conference game of the season Jan. 4, but Stone noted the team has changed since then.

"Just the mindset. It got serious," Stone said. "I mean, early in the conference we were like, 'Oh, we lost this game, that game.' We started kind of bad, but it didn't hit guys until we actually were going in the direction to not make the OVC tournament. It kind of hit guys like, 'Man, we really might not go.' So guys have been focusing. We're just taking games one by one. Really not even games -- half by half."

Southeast coach Dickey Nutt said his players' improved play lately started with their mentality.

"I feel like I feel and I see a different air about our basketball team in different meetings -- whether it be in study hall, whether it be our team meetings," Dickey Nutt said. "It's just a different air. It's more of a sense of urgency. It's more of an understanding of how every possession and valuing the basketball means to you. It's just different right now and hopefully we can keep it going."

The Redhawks take a two-game winning streak into tonight's game -- and have won three of four -- while the Govs look to snap a three-game losing streak.

"We're going to keep doing it like we have been, take it one half at a time, and see how it goes," Southeast senior point guard Lucas Nutt said. "We've been playing well, playing hard. Our team's confidence got up the past two games, but we just need to keep it like we've been going. Don't try to overthink it and put too much pressure on ourselves, and just go out and play."

In the Redhawks' first meeting with the Govs, Austin Peay erased a 15-point deficit and were led in scoring by four players in double figures.

Chris Horton paced the Govs with 21 points and 12 rebounds while Travis Betran scored 16, Will Triggs had 14 and Zavion Williams had 12.

Betran averages 16.4 points a game in conference play and has averaged 23.5 points in APSU's last two games. He's tied with Southeast's Jarekious Bradley with 68 3-pointers this season, which is third-best in the conference.

Triggs averages 13.1 points and 5.5 rebounds and Horton averages 12.8 and 8.4 rebounds in conference play.

"I think we have to look at a couple people," Dickey Nutt said. "Number one, Betran is really a good player, and he's capable of lighting you up, so we've got to make sure we don't give him any open looks. Number two, I think Will Triggs is as good a big guy in the league and they like to isolate him a lot, and we've got to do a good job of preventing him of having easy touches."

Bradley scored 30 points and hit 6 of 10 shots from behind the arc against the Govs before fouling out in the game.

Bradley, who returned from a left knee injury and scored 15 and 22 points off the bench in the Redhawks' victories last week, has continued to improve, and Nutt is "hopeful he'll be closer to 100 percent."

Southeast likely will be without Paul McRoberts for the second consecutive game. McRoberts suffered a sternoclavicular sprain during Southeast's game against Jacksonville State on Feb. 20. He did not play against UT Martin on Saturday and has not been able to practice. Nutt said McRoberts would have a CAT scan today.