Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team tops Austin Peay 86-84

The Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team allowed more than 80 points for just the third time this season and gave up a season-high 53.1-percent field-goal shooting.

Southeast's top player, junior forward Tyler Stone, was on the court for just five second-half minutes before fouling out with a season-low six points.

Yet somehow the Redhawks won.

"Real crazy," senior guard Corey Wilford said. "Sneak it out without Tyler. ... it was weird but we got players on this team. I knew we could get it."

The Redhawks used a late 16-2 run to rally past Austin Peay and they then held off the Governors 86-84 in a wild and exciting game Thursday night.

A jubilant Southeast Missouri State coach Dickey Nutt leaves the court after the Redhawks defeated Austin Peay on Thursday.

"We knew one of these nights one of them would get in foul trouble," junior point guard Lucas Nutt said about Stone and sophomore forward Nino Johnson, Southeast's dominant inside duo. "I think this was our biggest test of the season."

An announced Show Me Center crowd of 1,845 saw the Redhawks improve to 10-6 overall and 2-0 in Ohio Valley Conference play.

Southeast, which has a season-long four-game winning streak, is 6-1 at the Show Me Center. It's the Redhawks' best home start since the 2007-08 squad was 6-0 at home, although those victories were later vacated due to NCAA violations.

"I was really proud. They showed a lot of heart tonight," Southeast coach Dickey Nutt said. "It's a big win for us."

And one that the Redhawks largely have their guards to thank for.

With Stone, whose 17.7-point scoring average entering the night ranked third in the OVC, providing little offensively, Southeast's backcourt stepped up.

Southeast's guards combined for 68 of the 86 points. They provided 46 of the Redhawks' 51 second-half points.

"I can't say enough about our guard play," Dickey Nutt said.

Wilford scored 19 points, 16 in the second half. He entered the contest averaging 13.8 points.

Junior-college transfer A.J. Jones, who started the season strong but has struggled lately, scored 16 points. All 10 of his second-half points came over the final 5 minutes, 35 seconds.

Jones also tied Johnson for the team rebounding lead with nine.

"It just feels good to get back and help the team win a game. A big game at that," said Jones, who was averaging 7.3 points.

Nutt, who was averaging 5.6 points, scored 14 points. All nine of his second-half points came over the last 4:18.

Senior Marland Smith scored all nine of his points in the final period, including two 3-pointers.

Adding to Southeast's guard production were senior Nick Niemczyk and freshman Jared White.

Niemczyk scored seven points and hit his only 3-point attempt. White made the first and only 3-point attempt of his college career.

Johnson, Southeast's only player on the court taller than 6-4 down the stretch, just missed his seventh double-double of the season as he had 12 points and nine rebounds.

And not to be forgotten was walk-on redshirt freshman forward Jacob Tolbert, who provided 15 minutes because of not only Stone's foul trouble but also after Johnson picked up two first-half fouls.

"Corey, A.J., everybody made some big plays at crucial times," Lucas Nutt said. "We were fighting for our lives. They had us outmanned."

Southeast, up 35-30 after a first half that featured 10 lead changes and three ties, saw Austin Peay score the first 10 points of the second half.

The Govs (4-11, 0-1), who suffered their seventh straight loss, kept the lead for most of the final period.

"They're a good team. Their record doesn't show it," Dickey Nutt said of the perennial OVC powerhouse.

Things looked bleak for Southeast when Stone, who picked up his third and fourth fouls in the first three minutes of the second half, exited with his fifth foul with 7:49 remaining.

Chris Freeman hit the free throw to complete a three-point play, putting Austin Peay up 62-57 after the Govs earlier led 59-52.

Southeast still trailed 66-60 with under six minutes left when the Redhawks turned the game around with their 16-2 burst.

Jones scored five straight points to make it 66-65. Nutt's 3-pointer with 4:18 left pulled Southeast into a 68-68 tie.

Southeast, shredded defensively most of the night, got a stop and Jones drove for a fast-break basket at the 3:46 mark. The Redhawks were up 70-68 for their first lead since 46-44.

The Redhawks never relinquished the advantage.

After another defensive stop, Jones buried a 3-pointer to make it 73-68. Smith, after a steal by Wilford, drove for a three-point play that gave Southeast its biggest lead of 76-68 with 2:44 remaining.

"We needed someone to step up," Lucas Nutt said. "A.J. came through late for us and hit some big shots. It goes to show we have other players."

The Redhawks weren't quite home free as Austin Peay scored five quick points to make it 76-73.

But Southeast hit 10 of 10 free throws in the final 2:18, including 8 of 8 in the last 46 seconds to withstand a 3-point barrage by Austin Peay star Travis Betran, who buried three 3-pointers in the last 34 seconds, including one at the buzzer to account for the final margin.

Nutt made 6 of 6 free throws down the stretch and his two foul shots with 4.3 seconds left put Southeast up 86-81. Wilford and Niemczyk both made 2 of 2 from the line late.

Betran, a junior college transfer guard, scored a career-high 30 points. The OVC's leading 3-point shooter made 6 of 10 from beyond the arc.

"He really is a fantastic player," Dickey Nutt said.

Junior forward Will Triggs hit 14 of 17 shots and scored a career-high 29 points while grabbing 11 rebounds.

Southeast allowed an opponent to shoot at least 50 percent from the field for the first time this season.

"With four, five minutes to go I looked at my staff and said I guess we're going to have to outscore them," Dickey Nutt said.

The Govs hit 10 of 20 3-pointers but Southeast nearly matched that by making 9 of 17. The Redhawks shot 44.3 percent from the field.

"It was a good win for us," Wilford said.

Especially since it kept the Redhawks perfect in league play entering Saturday's nationally televised (ESPNU) 5 p.m. showdown with three-time defending OVC regular-season champion Murray State that concludes Southeast's three-game homestand.

"Now you have an opportunity. ... we certainly have a confident locker room," Dickey Nutt said.