Southeast men's basketball team seeks first victory in Florida

~ The Southeast men's basketball team looks to bounce back from its opening loss

The Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team didn't come close to winning its season opener.

Southeast hopes for a better result tonight when the Redhawks shoot for their first win of the year in another road test.

Southeast is in Fort Myers, Fla., where it will face Florida Gulf Coast at 6:05 p.m.

The contest is part of the Razorback Challenge, a four-team event that also has Southeast hosting Grambling State on Monday and visiting Arkansas on Nov. 24.

The Redhawks tipped off their campaign Saturday with a 78-56 loss at Alabama-Birmingham.

UAB built a 19-point halftime lead and was not threatened in the second half.

The Blazers, who went 25-9 last year, scored the game's first four points. Southeast pulled into a 4-4 tie but UAB used a 7-0 run to take control and the Blazers never looked back.

Southeast trailed 40-21 at the intermission and the closest the Redhawks got in the second half was 18 points in the final five minutes.

"It's always disappointing when you lose. We're disappointed we didn't make a better showing," second-year Southeast coach Dickey Nutt said. "But we faced a very tough team."

Florida Gulf Coast, a fourth-year Division I program, doesn't figure to be nearly as formidable as UAB. But Nutt doesn't expect an easy time.

"It's always difficult to win on the road," Nutt said. "We expect a very tough opponent. It's their first home game and I know they'll be ready to play."

The Eagles, who went 8-21 last year -- including 5-14 in the Atlantic Sun Conference -- opened their season Friday with an 88-60 loss at Indiana.

Anthony Banks, a 6-foot-6 sophomore forward, paced the Eagles with 16 points. Reed Baker, a 6-1 senior guard, added 12 points.

Banks and Baker were the Eagles' top two scorers last year. Banks led in scoring and rebounding with averages of 12.9 points and 6.6 boards. Baker averaged 11.4 points.

Junior guard Nick Niemczyk had an impressive debut for the Redhawks on Saturday as he led them with 19 points while adding six rebounds and four assists in a team-high 34 minutes off the bench.

Niemczyk, a Bell City High School product who transferred from Three Rivers Community College, hit 6 of 10 field-goal attempts. He made 3 of 5 from 3-point range and was 4 of 4 from the free-throw line.

"Nick played outstanding," Nutt said.

There had been some question whether Niemczyk would redshirt this year after having knee surgery for a torn ACL in April but Nutt said Niemczyk deemed himself fit enough to play.

Junior forward Leon Powell, who missed all of last season with a knee injury after transferring from junior college, had a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds in 32 minutes. Powell was 5 of 10 from the field.

Southeast will return to Cape Girardeau on Wednesday, then head back out on the road for a Saturday matchup at Missouri-Kansas City.

before opening its home schedule Monday against Grambling State.