Box Score



HAMMOND – Corey Wilford scored a game-high 18 points, going 5-for-5 from behind the 3-point line, and Southeast Missouri used stellar outside shooting to build an 18-point lead and hold off Southeastern Louisiana, 61-58, on Saturday at the University Center.

Tyler Stone added 13 points and grabbed nine rebounds for SEMO (6-4), which held Southeastern (1-5) scoreless for over nine minutes in the first half and snapped the Lions' 31-game winning streak in non-conference home games. The Redhawks, who led 29-11 with 4:54 remaining in the first half, finished 9-for-11 from behind the 3-point line and became the first non-conference team to win the University Center since Jackson State defeated Southeastern, 81-73, on Nov. 28, 2006.

Southeastern scored on a basket by Roosevelt Johnson with 15:06 remaining in the first half and Antonnio Benton added a free throw at the 14:37 mark that gave the Lions a 10-7 lead. But the Lions missed their next 12 shots and committed four turnovers as SEMO took the lead for good when Marland Smith drained a 3-pointer for a 12-10 lead with 13:11 left in the first half.

The Lions did not score again until 5:24 remaining in the first half when Todd Nelson hit the second of two free throws before Johnson ended the field goal drought with a bucket with 4:38 remaining in the half.

Southeastern closed the gap to 31-20 at halftime and gradually chipped away at the lead, closing to within 60-58 when Jeremy Campbell tipped-in a missed attempt by Brandon Fortenberry with 5.1 seconds left.

But Wilford made one of two free throws with 3.1 seconds left and Fortenberry's length of the floor attempt at the buzzer came up short.

Nino Johnson posted a double-double with 10 points and 16 rebounds to lead SEMO, which won its third straight game. Smith added 10 for the Skyhawks, who finished 21-for-45 from the floor (46.7 percent) and held Southeastern to a season-low 20-for-62 (32.3 percent) from the field.

Fortenberry led Southeastern with 12 points while Jeffery Ricard came off the bench to add 10. Antonnio Benton grabbed a team-high nine rebounds for the Lions while Johnson added eight points and eight rebounds before fouling out in the final minute.

Southeastern will return to action on Dec. 10 when it travels to face Louisiana-Monroe in a 7 p.m. contest at Fant-Ewing Coliseum.

SOUTHEAST MISSOURI (6-4)
Wilford 6-8 1-2 18; Stone 5-18 2-3 13; Smith 2-4 4-8 10; Johnson 4-9 2-4 10; Jones 2-3 0-0 5; Nutt 1-2 1-2 3; White 1-1 0-0 2; Tolbert 0-0 0-0 0; Niemczyk 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 21-45 10-19 61.

SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA (1-5)
Fortenberry 4-10 3-4 12; Ricard 1-9 8-8 10; Evans 4-10 0-0 9; Johnson 4-12 0-1 8; Benton 2-8 2-4 6; Ochie 2-7 0-0 5; Campbell 2-3 0-0 4; Nelson 1-3 1-2 4; Petrovcic 0-0 0-0 0; James 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 20-62 14-19 58.

Halftime – SEMO 31, SLU 20. 3-point goals – SEMO 9-11 (Wilford 5-5; Smith 2-3; Stone 1-2; Jones 1-1), SLU 4-20 (Nelson 1-3; Evans 1-5; Fortenberry 1-4; Ochie 1-2; Benton 0-3; Ricard 0-3). Fouled out -  Ochie, Johnson. Rebounds – SEMO 36 (Johnson 16), SLU 38 (Benton 9). Assists – SEMO 14 (Three with 4), SLU 5 (Five with 1). Total fouls – SEMO 17, SLU 22. Technical fouls - None. A – 843.