Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team travels to Morehead State seeking first OVC victory

Take the Tennessee State men's basketball team that defeated Southeast Missouri State on Saturday and kick the intensity up a few notches, and you'll get the Morehead State squad that hosts the Redhawks tonight, according to Southeast coach Rick Ray.

Southeast (2-12, 0-2 Ohio Valley Conference) and MSU tip off from Johnson Arena in Morehead, Kentucky, at 5 p.m. The Eagles (6-7, 0-1 OVC) bring a four-game losing streak into the contest.

"From watching tape on them, they're going to be similar to Tennessee State but ramp that up even more. They are a very difficult ball club," Ray said. "I'm really concerned about how we're going to be able to score against their defense. They switch every screen, they deny every catch and are just really physical off the ball."

MSU ranks No. 1 in the conference in scoring defense, allowing opponents to score an average of 64.5 points per game. Meanwhile, the Redhawks rank last in scoring offense, averaging 66.3 points per game.

Southeast saw an uptick in its production offensively, averaging 84.6 points during its wins against Missouri State, Harris-Stowe and a loss to Belmont, but was held to 66 points in its six-point loss to TSU.

In each of those last four games, four or more starters have scored in double figures.

Junior guard Antonius Cleveland, who's posted back-to-back double-doubles, is averaging 14.7 points and 6.9 rebounds per game, and senior guard Isiah Jones is averaging 10.1 ppg.

Junior forward Joel Angus III is averaging 9.9 ppg and 5.6 rpg, and junior forward Trey Kellum is averaging 9.7 points and 5.3 rebounds. Freshman guard Eric McGill is averaging 7.3 points, but has scored in double figures for four straight games. He's also knocked down a career-high three 3-pointers (shooting 54.5 percent) in two conference contests.

"I think the biggest thing for us is that we talk about being high and wide," Ray said of the offense. "We're going to have to open up the court. The most important thing for us is to be away from each other, and once we come up and we fight for a catch and you're denied, we've got to have hard, violent cuts through the paint clearing out through the corner. The only way we're going to be able to loosen this team up is by opening up the paint from cuts and for drives."

The Eagles rank second in the conference in rebounding margin -- they average 36.2 rebounds per game and hold opponents to 31.2. They lead the league in turnover margin -- committing only 13.3 per game and forcing 15.8 -- and steals (8.5 per game). Southeast is No. 2 in steals with 8.0 per game.

"They're unique in that they're a good rebounding team, but they don't have great size," Ray said. "They use their quickness and athleticism to get to the ball more so than just their length and strength."

MSU averages 67.8 ppg and is shooting 42.8 percent from the floor this season.

Ray said the Eagles will send several different plays on cuts into the high post, which could prove to be a challenge for the Redhawks, who have resolved to primarily play zone the rest of the season due to personnel.

"It's easier to defend a team that keeps their 4-man or 5-man in the high post, but when you start cutting perimeter guys into the high post versus the zone and those guys get it, they're a lot more dangerous to guard because they can do so many different things," Ray said. "They can shoot it, they can drive it, they can pass it. A lot of bigs aren't very good at that, but when you start cutting perimeter guys in there, it becomes much more difficult to guard in the high post."

Six Eagles average 7.2 points or more, but only one posts a double-figure average. Corban Collins, a 6-foot-3, 190-pound redshirt junior guard who transferred from LSU after his freshman season, averages 12.2 points and 3.5 assists per game. He's second in the OVC with a 2.6 assist-to-turnover ratio.

He leads the team with 22 made 3s (36.7 percent) and 39 free throws (70.9 percent).

"The fact that he's got an SEC body, SEC athleticism, but he's also a scorer, too, just gives you pause," Ray said. "[He's] a guy that's taken the most 3s on the team but also gets to the free-throw line the most. It's really rare when you see a guy who's leading the team in 3-points attempted but also free throws attempted, too, so that just means he's a really good player."

MSU defeated Southeast in two meetings last season -- 70-57 on Jan. 8 and 79-74 on March 4 in the first round of the OVC tournament.

The Eagles opened OVC action with a 62-57 loss to Murray State.

"They understand they're going to have to fight for every catch, they're going to have to be strong with the basketball, they're going to have to be guys who are willing cutters," Ray said. "And most of the time when they're cutting they've got to understand they're not going to get the ball, but your hard cut is going to open somebody else up to get the basketball or more importantly open up the lane for our guys to drive down. We've got to really be unselfish in our approach on the offensive end, but we've got to make sure we're not shocked and surprised by how physical this game is going to be."

The Redhawks will continue their road trip against Eastern Kentucky at 1 p.m. Saturday.