Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team will try to maintain perfect home record

The Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team has struggled on the road so far this season, losing all five of its games away from Cape Girardeau.

But the Redhawks (4-5) have been unbeatable at home, a trend they hope continues Saturday when Missouri-Kansas City (5-5) comes to town for a 7 p.m. tipoff. Fans are encouraged to wear white on Whiteout Night at the Show Me Center.

The Redhawks are 4-0 at home. They have the program's longest Show Me Center winning streak since the 2007-08 squad captured six straight.

"Home has been good to us. We have played a little bit better at home. We're excited about that," Southeast coach Dickey Nutt said. "We have been tougher at home."

Nutt wishes the Redhawks could find that same level of toughness on the road. He was especially disappointed with Monday's 88-72 loss at Central Arkansas.

"Consistency is our biggest problem. As a team right now, we're trying to find some consistency," Nutt said. "Right now we take one step forward and two steps back. We've got to get a lot tougher."

Southeast's frontcourt has been strong most of the season but the Redhawks' backcourt has struggled at times.

"For the most part our bigs have been doing well but people are really going to hammer down on our inside game," Nutt said. "Right now our backcourt is not as confident as we want it to be. Our guards are not playing as confident as they need to."

UMKC started the season with a home loss to Division II Northwest Missouri State but has bounced back with some nice wins, including over 2010-11 NCAA tournament participant Wofford.

The Kangaroos have already started their conference schedule, standing 1-1 in the Summit League.

UMKC went 16-14 overall and 9-9 in conference play a year ago. One of the Kangaroos' wins was a 70-62 decision over Southeast in Kansas City.

"They're a fine basketball team," Nutt said. "Everybody we play right now is going to be tough for us."

Reggie Chamberlain, a 6-foot senior guard, leads the Kangaroos with a 19.5 scoring average, which ranks fourth in the Summit League.

Chamberlain is shooting 50 from the field, including 44.2 from 3-point range (23 of 52). The former Wichita State transfer had a solid season last year, averaging 11.6 points and shooting 40 percent from beyond the arc to earn Summit League all-newcomer honors.

Following Saturday's contest, Southeast takes a break for finals next week before hosting SMU on Dec. 19.