Tech's sizzling shooting burns SE

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. -- Allowing opponents to shoot a high field-goal percentage has been a problem for Southeast Missouri State University all season -- and that trend continued in a big way Thursday night.

Tennessee Tech, slicing through the Indians' defense seemingly at will, shot 62.7 percent -- including a sizzling 68 percent in the first half -- to post an 89-73 Ohio Valley Conference victory in front of 3,210 fans at the Eblen Center.

The Indians, who lost their seventh straight OVC game, fell to 10-18 overall and 4-11 in the conference and they remained eighth in the nine-team league. Southeast finishes the regular season Saturday night at Tennessee State.

Tech, which lost to Southeast earlier this year in Cape Girardeau, improved to 17-11 and 10-5. The Eagles, who have won the past two OVC regular-season championships, clinched at least a third-place tie, although they have been eliminated from title contention.

"We couldn't stop them. That's the story of the year," Southeast coach Gary Garner said.

A Tech rebounding advantage of 40-23 also hurt. Despite those shortcomings, the Eagles never could totally put Southeast away, although they led comfortably most of the way.

"Our effort has never been a problem," Garner said. "With our record, to come down here and give that kind of effort says a lot about our players."

The Indians received a particularly inspired effort from sophomore guard Derek Winans, the team's leading scorer.

Following Wednesday's practice, Winans became inflicted with a blister-like wound on the bottom of his right foot that could be related to the early stages of gout. He was in pain, and up until game time Garner didn't know if Winans would play.

But Winans started and led the Indians with 18 points while playing 30 minutes.

"Derek is so tough," Garner said. "I didn't know if he could play, then I thought about it and I knew he would. You can't keep him off the court."

Said Winans, "It was pretty painful, but this time of the year you have to play through injuries. Just about everybody has something wrong with them this late in the season."

Four other players scored in double figures for the Indians, including sophomore guard Brett Hale with 16 points. Junior center Brandon Griffin and junior forward Damarcus Hence both had 11 points while senior guard Demetrius King added 10 off the bench.

Griffin pulled down nine rebounds and sophomore point guard Kevin Roberts had six assists to go with six steals.

Tech got 18 points and 10 rebounds from senior center Damien Kinloch. Junior guard Cameron Crisp scored 16 points, senior forward Damien Perkins had 15 and senior guard Brent Jolly added 12.

"We shot the ball pretty good. We got a lot of layups by running the court," Kinloch said. "But SEMO is a real feisty bunch, and they have some great shooters."

Tech bolted to an early lead, but Southeast went ahead 18-16 on a Hale 3-pointer with 12:19 left in the first half. King's 3-pointer with 9:56 remaining put the Indians up 23-18.

But Southeast's lead was short-lived as Tech responded with a 10-0 run that forced the Indians to play from behind the rest of the night.

The Eagles led 43-32 at halftime thanks largely to hitting 17 of 25 shots, including five of nine 3-pointers.

Southeast scored the first four points of the second half to pull within 43-36. The Indians got no closer than that but also never totally lost contact with the Eagles, who led by just 12 in the final minute.

"We hung in there, but we just never could get over the hump," Winans said. "It's been like that pretty much all year."

mmishow@semissourian.com

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