Southeast men's basketball team returns home vs. Mid-Continent

~ the Redhawks bring a 2-2 mark into tonight's game against the NAIA school

The Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team returns to action tonight at the Show Me Center following a four-point loss on Monday.

The Redhawks face NAIA opponent Mid-Continent University at 7 p.m.

Mid-Continent, from Mayfield, Ky., is 0-6 this season. Its opponents average 96.3 points per game.

"It's important that we take every opponent with utmost urgency and respect," Southeast coach Dickey Nutt said. "Even though they're a non-Division I team, it doesn't matter to us. We're more concerned about the improvement of our team on a daily basis, and this is just another way that we can go out and prove that we're getting better every day. Hopefully we'll go out and do that."

The Redhawks (2-2) lost 87-83 to Ball State on Monday.

"I hope we won't make the same mistakes," Nutt said about Monday's loss. "I thought that we had a chance to win, but I certainly haven't lost any confidence in this team and I don't think they have lost any confidence in themselves.

"We've played four games and three of those have been on the road and we're 2-2. Certainly we're disappointed. We feel like we let a game get away, but I think our guys found out that it's very, very difficult to win on the road. You have to do everything perfect, and obviously we didn't do everything perfect."

Nutt believes that his team's biggest area of improvement is on the defensive end. The Redhawks are averaging 85.2 points per game, but are allowing opponents to score an average of 74.5.

"The first and foremost is that I feel like we're running downhill on offense and uphill on defense," Nutt said. "We're very excited to go to the offensive end, but on the defensive end we're just not paying attention to detail and not putting forth the kind of effort that I believe we have to have in order to be successful. These things have to get a lot better."

Mid-Continent's Joe Gilmore averages 13.3 points per game, including games of 23 and 19 points. Justin Wright averages 9.7 points for the Cougars, but scored 26 points in a game against Lindsey Wilson on Nov. 14.

Southeast's offense is led by senior forward Tyler Stone and freshman forward Jarekious Bradley.

Stone, who has played in just two of Southeast's games, is averaging 23 points per game and Bradley is averaging 19.

Stone and Bradley also are leading the Redhawks in rebounding, averaging 10.5 and eight rebounds, respectively.

Nutt expects senior point guard Lucas Nutt will be able to play after an ankle injury early in the loss to Ball State. Lucas Nutt continued to play in that game.

Lucas Nutt averages seven points and 6.8 assists per game.

"We've got to have Lucas, and Lucas is the guy that makes us go," Nutt said. "He's the guy that puts everybody in the right position and he's our leader. We're looking forward to him getting back out there at 100 percent."