SE loses big lead, falls to EIU

CHARLESTON, Ill. -- For 30 minutes here Saturday, Southeast Missouri State University's Indians were having fun again as they appeared ready to, for one night at least, wipe away all the bad memories from a dismal non-league performance.

But the nightmares will continue for the Indians, thanks to a furious Eastern Illinois rally that saw the Panthers wipe out an 18-point deficit with under 10 minutes to play as they stunned Southeast 84-74.

The Indians, in losing their Ohio Valley Conference opener, fell to 2-10 overall. The defending OVC Tournament champion Panthers improved to 8-7 overall and 1-1 in league play as they posted their 19th consecutive victory at Lantz Gym.

"It's a devastating loss, because it would have been a great win for us," said a downcast Southeast coach Gary Garner. "We needed something positive so bad and this would have been it.

"For whatever it was, 30, 32 minutes, we played really good basketball, like we've got to play. Then we just did everything wrong."

Southeast fell behind 17-7 in the early going but trailed just 37-33 at halftime.

Then came a 10-minute stretch that produced by far Southeast's most impressive play of the season. Stifling EIU defensively and running their offense with precision, the Indians pulled away from a 39-39 tie, using a shocking 22-4 run to build a 61-43 lead after Monte Gordon's basket with 10:02 remaining. Southeast was still up by 18 at 63-45 after a Tim Scheer bucket with 9:19 left.

Then the roof began to cave in for Southeast, but not all at once.

After EIU pulled to within 63-52, Drew DeMond's three-point play at the 7:32 mark boosted Southeast back into a 66-52 lead.

But then EIU's pressure really began to rattle Southeast as the Panthers forced several quick turnovers to fuel a 9-0 run over a little more than a minute. All of a sudden EIU was within 66-61 with still more than six minutes to go.

The Indians regrouped a bit, scoring four straight points for a 70-61 lead. But the Panthers continued to surge and a Craig Lewis follow shot with 3:41 left pulled them to within 70-68.

DeMond's bucket at the 2:50 mark put Southeast ahead 74-70, but the Indians would not score again as the Panthers took the game by the throat.

A three-point play by Lewis made it 74-73 with 2:38 left. Ramon Taylor came up with a steal and was fouled. He made one of two free throws for a 74-74 tie with 1:34 remaining.

Southeast then committed a turnover on the inbounds play and John Thorsen hit two free throws with 1:12 left to put the Panthers up 76-74.

Another Southeast turnover on the inbounds play led to a Lewis follow shot with 1:04 left that made it 78-74. After yet another Indian turnover, Taylor's breakaway dunk made it 80-74 with 53 seconds to play.

After consecutive Southeast misses, Henry Domercant hit four straight free throws for the final margin.

"They had a great run in the second half. They hit some great shots and had a lot of energy, enthusiasm," said EIU coach Rick Samuels.

Over the last eight minutes, the Indians had nine of their 22 total turnovers, hit just three of eight free throws -- they had been 13 of 15 prior to that period -- and were outrebounded 11-2.

"We really lost our composure, for the first time in a long time," Garner said. "Turnovers really killed us and we missed some free throws.

"You know you're not going to blow them out. You just have to hold them off and we did some real dumb things."

Said DeMond, who led the Indians with 18 points as he hit six of eight shots from the field, "We just lost our composure at the end. Everybody started turning it over. Our experience or whatever, we have to take care of the ball.

"But I think a lot of good things can come out of this because we know we can play with these teams."

Domercant, EIU's brilliant junior swingman who is the OVC's leading scorer and ranks fourth nationally, poured in 38 points despite what Garner thought was a pretty decent defensive effort against him. Domercant hit 12 of 21 shots from the field and all 10 of his free-throw attempts.

Lewis came off the bench to score 18 points and Jesse Mackinson added 14.

Joining DeMond in double figures for Southeast were Kenny Johnson with 17 points and Scheer with 11. Demetrius King and Gordon chipped in with eight points each, Gordon coming off the bench to hit all four of his shots.

"We shoot 55 percent from the field (including 64 percent in the second half) and still lose the game," said Garner, shaking his head. "We gave them the basketball game. I don't think they won it."

On what he told his downcast players in the locker room in the moments following the defeat, Garner said, "When you lose a game like we did tonight, the players are devastated, just torn up.

"I told them two things. We just totally lost our composure. But for a positive, you showed for 30, 35 minutes you can go on the road and play with a team picked third in the league."