Two shots remain for elusive OVC win

The Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team has two more chances to break the nation's longest current losing streak.

Southeast finishes its turmoil-filled season with a pair of Ohio Valley Conference road games, tonight at Tennessee State and Saturday at Austin Peay.

"The last week of the season, it's two more opportunities for our guys to win a basketball game," Southeast acting coach Zac Roman.

The Redhawks (3-25, 0-16) have suffered a school-record 17 straight defeats after also recently breaking the school mark for single-season losses.

Southeast has not tasted victory since Dec. 21, when the Redhawks posted a nonconference triumph over Western Illinois.

"We have to lace it up and do everything we can to win a game," Roman said.

Tonight's opponent also has experienced its share of adversity this season, but TSU (10-17, 7-9) appears to have emerged stronger for it.

On Feb. 6, TSU fired sixth-year coach Cy Alexander and replaced him on an interim basis with assistant Mark Pittman.

The Tigers dropped their first game under Pittman, but responded to reel off three straight victories -- all on the road -- to clinch a berth in the OVC tournament.

TSU is seventh in the 10-team conference. The Tigers still have a chance to finish as high as sixth entering the eight-team tournament.

Included among TSU's three-game winning streak is an impressive triumph at two-time defending OVC regular-season champion Austin Peay.

"They're playing their best basketball of the season," Roman said. "They're playing more as a team, just watching them. They're sharing the ball. They've always had the talent."

The Tigers are led by 6-foot-1 sophomore guard Gerald Robinson, who averages 17.4 points per game to rank fifth in the conference.

TSU also features one of the league's better inside players in 6-8 senior forward Jerrell Houston, who averages 13.4 points and seven rebounds.

Darius Cox, a 6-8 sophomore forward, provides 10.1 points and seven rebounds a contest.

Freshman guard Parker Smith is among the OVC's top 10 3-point shooters at 40.6 percent. The 6-3 Smith is hitting 47.3 percent from long range in conference play.

"Robinson is one of the best guards in the league and Houston is a very good player," Roman said. "They've got size, quickness."

TSU beat Southeast 83-72 despite trailing 29-27 at halftime Dec. 6 at the Show Me Center.

Robinson led the Tigers with 21 points. Smith, averaging 9.5 points, added 16 points off the bench as he hit 5 of 9 3-pointers.

Southeast got a career-high 19 points from junior wing Johnny Hill, who averages just 5.7 points.

Saturday's opponent, third-place Austin Peay (15-12, 11-5), routed the Redhawks 91-67 on Dec. 4 in Cape Girardeau.