Southeast will try to exact revenge against Morehead State

To say that Morehead State caused Southeast Missouri State's current funk would be an overstatement.

But the Eagles didn't help things.

On Jan. 24 at the Show Me Center, MSU built a 20-point second-half lead and held on for an 82-78 victory.

That was Southeast's fifth straight loss in what has become a dismal 1-7 stretch for the Redhawks, who have tumbled since starting Ohio Valley Conference play with six consecutive wins.

Adding insult to injury during the Eagles' visit, Southeast coach Scott Edgar criticized the officials following the contest and the next day received a one-game suspension from the OVC.

Tonight the Redhawks hope to pay back MSU and perhaps gain some traction in the OVC race when the squads meet in a 6:30 p.m. tipoff in Morehead, Ky.

Southeast will conclude its two-game road swing Saturday at Eastern Kentucky.

"It's a big trip for us. Both teams are playing very well," Edgar said.

Southeast (12-12, 7-7) has dipped into a sixth-place tie in the 11-team OVC. The top eight finishers make the conference tournament, with the top four earning first-round home games.

"Everybody in the OVC is still all playing for something," Edgar said. "Every spot is still undetermined."

MSU (11-10, 8-5) has been the OVC's surprise men's basketball team after being picked 10th in the league's preseason poll.

The Eagles are tied for third place, and they have been among the OVC's hottest squads with seven wins in their last eight games.

MSU has been tough at home, winning all nine games at Johnson Arena, including six conference contests. The Eagles have matched their best home start to a season in 50 years.

"Where they were picked, where they're at, they're doing a great job," Edgar said. "They have a good feeling about themselves. That's very important."

The Eagles do not have much size, but they receive strong guard play and balanced scoring, with four players averaging between 9.6 and 13.4 points per game.

"They've got a great senior point guard [Nikola Stojakovic] and statistically maybe the best two-guard in the league [Maze Stallworth]," Edgar said. "They're undersized, but they all have guard-forward skills."

In the earlier meeting with MSU, Southeast staged a furious comeback after falling behind by 20 points, but fell a bit short.

The Eagles attempted 48 free throws to just 28 for the Redhawks, which drew Edgar's ire.

Edgar said it will be important to limit the Eagles' free-throw opportunities tonight.

Edgar also said the Redhawks should be closer to full strength tonight than they have been in a while. Sophomore guard Jimmy Drew, who has missed the last three games with a foot injury, could return to action against MSU.

Sophomore forward Calvin Williams, who played just five minutes during Saturday's 90-71 home loss to Tennessee-Martin, should be near 100 percent tonight.

Of course, the Redhawks remain without senior forward Brandon Foust -- their second-leading scorer and top rebounder -- who suffered a season-ending knee injury Jan. 7 at Austin Peay.

Foust has missed the last seven games, six of them losses.

"I think we've not only missed Brandon's points and rebounds, but just his decision-making and his instincts," Edgar said.

Edgar said he has been most troubled by the Redhawks' inconsistency in recent weeks.

"The way you establish programs is to develop consistency," he said. "That's our focus, and that goes across the board, in all phases.

"We just have to focus on being the best we can be from game to game."