Redhawks hope to fix slow starts at home vs. JSU

~ The Southeast men have faced uphill climbs at the Show Me Center this season

The Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team hopes to rectify a big problem tonight.

Southeast has gotten off to slow starts in most of its home games so far this season, including Saturday when Ohio Valley Conference rival Tennessee Tech scored 16 of the first 18 points.

The Redhawks never dug out of that hole, despite twice pulling to within three points in the second half, as they suffered an 82-73 loss.

"We have to get off to a better start," Southeast coach Dickey Nutt said.

That will be the objective for the Redhawks tonight when they play another OVC home contest against Jacksonville State. The tipoff is set for 7:45 p.m.

Southeast is 4-9 overall and 1-2 in OVC play. JSU is 5-7 and 1-1 after Saturday's 50-48 loss at Eastern Illinois.

"We're going to come out with a lot more intensity and have a better first half," junior forward Jajuan Maxwell said.

Jacksonville State already owns a victory over Tennessee Tech, winning 83-72 on Dec. 5 in Jacksonville, Ala.

"If you think this one was tough, wait till Jacksonville comes in. They're an even tougher team," Nutt said.

Despite being held to just 48 points in a low-scoring affair at Eastern Illinois, Jacksonville State is third in the OVC with an average of 73.9 points per game.

The Gamecocks feature four of the conference's top 17 scorers, led by 6-foot-5 junior college transfer wing Trenton Marshall with a 17.6 average that is second-best in the league. Marshall was held to three points at Eastern Illinois.

Junior guard Nick Murphy, despite standing 6-3, is the OVC's No. 2 rebounder with a 7.6 average. He ranks 11th in scoring (14.3 ppg) while shooting 60 percent from the field.

After tonight's game, the Redhawks face three straight OVC road contests beginning Saturday at Eastern Illinois.

Women coming off win

Southeast's women picked up their first OVC win Saturday, beating Tennessee Tech 61-56.

Unlike the men, the women got off to a strong start, leading by 17 points in the first half and by 13 points at halftime. The Eagles tied the contest late before Southeast surged back ahead for good.

The Redhawks return to action at 5:30 p.m. today when Jacksonville State visits the Show Me Center.

Southeast is 4-8 overall and 1-2 in the OVC. Jacksonville State is struggling at 3-9 and 0-2 after Saturday's 85-48 loss at Eastern Illinois.

"You've got to take care of business at home just to have a fighting chance [in the OVC]," Southeast coach John Ishee said. "It's a big game for us, especially since we've got three straight on the road after this one."