TECH GUARDS MURRAY; SE MUST SLIP BY EAGLES TO FORCE SHOWDOWN

Slowing down a talented backcourt tonight will likely hold the key as to whether Southeast Missouri State University's basketball Indians wrap up a perfect homestand.

Tennessee Tech has one of the more talented guard tandems in the Ohio Valley Conference and those junior-college transfers will be on display when the Eagles and Indians square off in a 7:30 p.m. game at the Show Me Center.

"There is no question that the guards are the strength of their team," said Southeast coach Gary Garner. "They are two very talented players and they do the bulk of the scoring."

Josh Heard, a 6-foot-2 junior, leads the Eagles in scoring with 15.7 points per game.

Corey Hemphill, a 6-1 junior, is right behind at 15.3 points a contest. Hemphill, the Eagles' point guard, is also one of the OVC's top assist men with 99.

Heard and Hemphill both rank among the OVC's top 10 in scoring while Hemphill is one of the league's best 3-point shooters at 44 percent. Heard shoots 37 percent from 3-point range.

"They are both very good athletes who can not only shoot the ball from the outside but can also put it on the floor and drive to the basket," Garner said. "They are definitely the keys to their team."

Under first-year coach Jeff Lebo, a former standout player at North Carolina, the Eagles have already matched last season's overall and OVC victory totals.

Tech is 9-12 overall and 5-8 in OVC play, which has the Eagles among six teams in a logjam between the league's third and eighth spots. Tech is currently in eighth place, but only 1 1/2 games out of third.

The top eight finishers in the 10-team league earn berths in the postseason tournament, with the top four finishers earning first-round tourney home games. Tech is in good shape to finish at least among the top eight and the Eagles are still in the running for the top four.

"They are a much better team than they were last year," said Garner. "They've definitely increased their talent level. They've played pretty well the last few weeks and they've still got a lot to play for."

Tech's top inside player is 6-6 senior forward Wesley Whitehorn, who is by far the squad's leading rebounder at more than seven a contest. Whitehorn also scores 7.1 points per game.

Southeast began its current homestand Tuesday night by struggling past Tennessee State 61-54. The Indians followed that up Thursday night with an impressive 69-55 victory over Middle Tennessee State.

"We knew going into this week that we needed to win all three games to have a chance (at winning the OVC championship)," Garner said. "We've gotten by the first two and if we can get by Tennessee Tech, then we can control our own destiny."

The Indians have been on a rampage in OVC play, winning nine of their past 10 games. At 12-1 in league play (15-6 overall), Southeast has already clinched second place, meaning the Indians are assured of hosting a first-round tournament game.

Southeast is one game behind league-leading Murray State, which is 13-0 in OVC play. The Racers, who play at Tennessee-Martin tonight, will host the Indians next Thursday.

"We're not counting on anybody else beating Murray State," said Garner. "In order for it (Thursday's game) to mean as much as we want it to, we've got to keep winning.

The Indians defeated the Eagles earlier this season, posting a 64-51 victory on Jan. 9 in Cookeville, Tenn. Southeast led by just one point at halftime before pulling away in the second half.

"That game was a lot tougher than the final score indicates," Garner said. "They really played us tough but we were able to play great defense in the second half. I think our players know we have to be ready for a difficult game."

Garner has emphasized all season long about how the Indians have to take things one game at a time. And they definitely seem to have bought into that philosophy.

"That's what we've been doing," said center Bud Eley, who is having a monster season for the Indians with averages of 15.3 and 10.4 rebounds per game. "We know we can't look past anybody. Right now, this (tonight's) game is the biggest one of the season for us."

Tennessee Tech at SEMO

7:30 p.m., Show Me Center

Probable Starters

SEMO (15-6, 12-1 OVC)

Player Pos. Yr. Ht. Avg.

Mike Branson F Jr. 6-6 10.9

Roderick Johnson F Jr. 6-7 11.4

Bud Eley C Sr. 6-10 15.3

Cory Johnson G Sr. 6-0 11.2

Kahn Cotton G Sr. 5-10 7.9

Tennessee Tech (9-12, 5-8 OVC)

Player Pos. Yr. Ht. Avg.

Wesley Whitehorn F Sr. 6-6 7.1

Joey Westmoreland F Fr. 6-6 7.3

Eric Akins C Jr. 6-9 3.9

Corey Hemphill G Jr. 6-1 15.3

Josh Heard G Jr. 6-2 15.7

Series: SEMO leads 8-7

Last Meeting: SEMO won 64-51 on Jan. 9

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