Southeast Missourian Previews JSU versus SEMO

Tonight's game is huge for the Gamecocks. A win would put us at 2-1 in the conference. Here is what the Southeast Missourian had to say about the game:

Redhawks hope to fix slow starts at home vs. JSU
Monday, January 4, 2010

By Marty Mishow ~ Southeast Missourian
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.