Sixth consecutive victory sends Redhawks MBB past Little Rock, into OVC driver’s seat

Going into hostile territory for a battle amongst teams tied at the top of the Ohio Valley Conference, it was the visiting Southeast Missouri State men’s basketball team that eked out a 57-45 victory over Little Rock to claim sole possession of first place in the conference.

Better yet, maybe, it also officially clinched an OVC Tournament berth for the Redhawks as they’ve officially avenged last season’s tourney miss with an 11-4 start to the conference season.

A defensive masterclass of a performance dictated Southeast’s win on Tuesday, with the Redhawks holding the hosts to just 16 points in the first half and pouncing on the back end to force a low-scoring victory in a battle of high-level league contenders.

That, including a marvelous chase-down swat off the back glass from Brendan Terry in the game’s final minute, made it all too simple for an efficient Redhawk offense to take a vengeful road winner over the reigning No. 1 Trojans.

Now, for the first time all year, Southeast stands alone atop the OVC with a 16-10 overall record and more importantly, an 11-4 conference record that creeps above second-ranked SIU-Edwardsville.

Little Rock slips to third in the OVC, 16-10 overall with a 10-5 league record that now creeps below the Cougars of SIUE not by wins but by winning percentage, solving a three-way tie going into Tuesday’s clash.

That 16-point first-half mark by UALR is tied for the lowest number of points allowed in a half this season for Southeast, equaling the mark set by Division-III Westminster earlier this season. It stands alone among Division-I opponents.

It didn’t take much offense for Southeast to get by on Tuesday night, but when it needed it most, Troy Cole Jr. made the plays.

Hitting two triples in the final 10 minutes, one coming off a lunging baseline grab below the kneecap before drilling a smooth-as-silk bucket from the far corner, Cole Jr.’s Tuesday performance gave that clutch energy when the Redhawks couldn’t pull away.

He slipped into double-digit scoring at 10 points contributed, with Rob Martin’s 17 and Brendan Terry’s 14 rounding out those above that line while Braxton Stacker buried a triple while adding 4 rebounds at 7 points.

Though the Morehead State win, fresh on the mind, ranks highly among those most valuable to the Redhawks this season, there’s an air about Tuesday’s victory that might resonate most closely with those suggesting they’ve got a shot at doing something special this season.

Completing a three-game road trip with wins over then-No. 1 Morehead State, an impressive Southern Indiana squad and another then-No. 1 Little Rock, it’s a better finish than you could’ve possibly asked for.

Now on six consecutive victories, the Redhawks are headed home to finish up the Show Me Center slate for the season, beginning Saturday against the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles.

With a 3:45 p.m. Saturday scheduled tip, it’ll be a great opportunity for the Redhawks to further their lead on No. 1 against the No. 5 Tech, aiming to seal up a top-two berth and a bye into the OVC Tournament semifinals later in March.