Willoughby will miss game due to illness

~ The senior guard may have mononucleosis.

Southeast Missouri State will play at Murray State tonight without its most experienced player and one of the Ohio Valley Conference's top 3-point shooters.

According to Southeast coach Scott Edgar, senior guard Terrick Willoughby did not accompany the Redhawks to Murray, Ky., on Sunday after he started experiencing symptoms consistent with mononucleosis on Saturday.

"Terrick has been tired, so he called the trainer and got checked out," Edgar said. "He has mono-like symptoms, and he's under medical supervision.

"Right now he's just day to day. Hopefully we'll get him back before too long."

Willoughby, one of just two seniors for the Redhawks, is the only Southeast player who has been in the program the past four years.

Willoughby is averaging 7.4 points per game while shooting 40.3 percent from 3-point range (25 of 62), which is seventh-best in the OVC.

In conference games only, Willoughby has hit 14 of 30 3-pointers (46.7 percent), which ranks sixth in the league.

"Terrick was playing very well. He was shooting the ball well and playing great defense," Edgar said. "Collectively, we've got to make up for his loss right now."

Freshman Marcus Rhodes is expected to make his first collegiate start in Willoughby's place.

Rhodes has been a solid contributor off the bench, averaging 5.9 points. He has hit 7 of 13 3-pointers (53.8 percent) in OVC games to rank third in the conference.