Southeast to host future conference foe

The Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team has a final chance to pick up another win before the year ends.

It comes today when the Redhawks (3-9) host Southern Illinois-Edwardsville (3-11) in a 5:30 p.m. New Year's Eve matchup at the Show Me Center.

"It's definitely a big game for us," Southeast acting coach Zac Roman said. "It would be great to get a win."

Today's contest will give Southeast fans a look at one of the Redhawks' future Ohio Valley Conference opponents.

SIU-E, a first-year Division I program, was admitted to the OVC in July. The Cougars will begin play in the conference in the 2011-12 season.

"With their geographical location, I think it's going to turn into a real good rivalry," Roman said.

The Cougars were a solid Division II squad last season, going 17-11, but they returned just one starter.

Not surprisingly, the Cougars -- featuring nine newcomers and a road-heavy schedule -- have struggled.

But the Cougars are coming off an impressive performance, Sunday's 77-71 victory at Missouri-Kansas City in which SIU-E shot 66 percent from the field.

Before that game, SIU-E had suffered seven straight losses, six by double-digit margins. That includes Saturday's 107-57 blowout at Missouri.

"That was really a big win for them at UMKC, especially to bounce back like they did after getting beat so bad at Missouri and breaking a seven-game losing streak," Roman said. "They're going to come in here with a lot of confidence and ready to play."

SIU-E's other wins were against Western Michigan and Division III Blackburn.

The Cougars have had a few other solid games, including a 67-61 loss at Bradley, which beat Southeast by 13 points.

SIU-E's offensive leader has been Mark Yelovich, a 6-foot-5 freshman forward who averages 13.1 points per game and leads the Cougars in 3-point shooting at 46.5 percent (20 of 43).

The Cougars' other double-figure scorer is 6-0 junior guard Barry Wellington (10.9 ppg), who played last season at Mineral Area College in Park Hills, Mo.

SIU-E received a monster performance from 6-3 freshman guard Aaron Garriott in Sunday's win at Missouri-Kansas City.

Garriott, who averages 8.9 points, scored a career-high 24 points as he did not miss a shot.

"They'll be a solid opponent for us," Roman said. "We're going to have to play well and bring it."

Southeast is the only OVC program SIU-E plays this season.

Following today's game, the Redhawks resume their OVC schedule Saturday at Tennessee Tech. Southeast is 0-2 in conference play.

Hill injured

Southeast's already-thin roster should be even thinner today as junior wing Johnny Hill is doubtful.

Roman said Hill suffered a foot injury during last week's loss at Arkansas State.

With junior guard Jimmy Drew continuing to be sidelined by a foot injury, Hill's absence would mean Southeast would be down to only seven available scholarship players.