Box Score | PDF Version of Box Score

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Tyler Stone scored a game-high 24 points and added six rebounds to lead Southeast Missouri (7-7, 2-0) to a 74-56 win over Jacksonville State (5-11, 0-3) Monday night at the Show Me Center.

Southeast, which has won three-straight games, is 2-0 in Ohio Valley Conference play for the first time since 1999-2000. That year, the Redhawks beat Tennessee Tech and Tennessee State to start league play under then-head coach Gary Garner.

“This was a really good win for us,” said Southeast head coach Dickey Nutt. “We got off to a strong start and I was pleased with our shooting.”

Southeast stormed out of the gate with a double-digit run for the second-straight game, scoring the first 11 points of the contest.

Nick Niemczyk buried a three-pointer on the Redhawks opening possession, before Stone, Marcus Brister and Leon Powell combined for the next eight points in less than four minutes.

JSU responded with a 16-4 run of its own to take its only lead of the game when Brian Williams' jumper gave the Gamecocks a 17-16 edge at the 10:53 mark.

Southeast and JSU would then battle to a 20-20 tie before combining for eight turnovers in a period of 7:26.

The Redhawks, however, managed to score 14 of the last 22 points of the half and dropped in five-straight after Stephen Hall converted a three-point play to cut Southeast's lead to 29-28 with 1:45 on the clock.

Marland Smith's three-pointer (:54) and Brister's layup (:01) in the final minute gave Southeast a 34-28 lead at the intermission.

After Darion Rackley's layup sliced Southeast's lead to 43-41 with 13:57 left to play in the second half, the Redhawks used a 15-0 run to blow the game open.

JSU went scoreless for 5:04, missing eight field goals and committing three turnovers during that stretch.
 
Meanwhile, Brister completed a pair of three-point plays and Smith and Niemczyk drained back-to-back threes to fuel the decisive surge. Niemczyk's three pushed Southeast's lead to 58-41 at the 9:14 mark.

The Redhawks led by as many as 20 points twice in the last eight minutes en route to their seventh win of the season.

Southeast, which owns a .500 record for the first time under Nutt, shot 50 percent (25-of-50) from the field and a season-high 81 percent (17-of-21) at the free throw line.

Defensively, the Redhawks forced 13 turnovers and held JSU to a .317 field goal percentage. The Gamecocks made 19 of their 60 field goal attempts. JSU shot just 21.1 percent (4-of-19) from three-point range, as well.

Stone, who scored double figures in his eighth-consecutive start, shot 10-of-16 from the field and 4-of-5 at the free throw line. It was the third time Stone scored 20 or more points in a game this season.

Brister followed with 14 points, a game-high eight rebounds and four assists.

Smith rounded out Southeast's double-digit scorers with 11 points and a game-high six assists. He also drained at least three 3-pointers in each of his last four games.

Williams led all JSU scorers with 19 points.

The Gamecocks, who have now lost 12-straight road games, fell to 0-8 away from home this year.
 
Southeast hits the road to face UT Martin on Jan. 5. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m., CT, at the Elam Center.