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NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Southeast Missouri (10-9, 2-3) nearly overcame a 17-point deficit with a ferocious second-half comeback, but came up short in a 81-69 loss to Ohio Valley Conference East Division leader Tennessee State (11-7, 5-0) Saturday night at the Gentry Center.

Southeast, which was down, 48-31, with 18:32 left to play in the game, heated up to shoot 65 percent from the field in the first 13 minutes of the second half. The Redhawks pulled to within three when Nick Niemczyk buried a trifecta to make it 70-67 at the 3:46 mark.

TSU answered Niemczyk's three with an 11-2 run down the stretch and made 6-of-6 free throws in the final 33 seconds to nab its sixth-straight win.

"It would have been very easy to pack our bags at halftime of this game. I was proud of the way we came out in the second half," said Southeast head coach Dickey Nutt. "We showed a lot of fight."

Southeast trailed, 43-29, at halftime, but made 13-of-20 field goals to start the second half.

Niemcyk's three-pointer cut the Tigers lead to single digits (58-49) with 12:18 remaining to jumpstart the comeback.

Corey Wilford's three would later whittle TSU's lead to 68-64 at the 6:30 mark. The Tigers then turned the ball over twice and missed two field goals on their next four possessions, but Southeast couldn't capitalize.

Free throws by Kellen Thornton and Patrick Miller pushed TSU's lead back to six with just under four minutes left before Niemczyk's trey made it a one-possession game.

Jordan Cyphers, however, countered Niemczyk's make with a three of his own to give TSU a 73-67 advantage.

Tyler Stone's jumper cut the Tigers lead to 73-69 and Miller quickly responded when he banked in a shot with 2:03 on the clock.

After Stone rebounded Deshawn Dockery's missed layup, Southeast came away empty-handed on two three-pointers and a layup during the same possession. The Redhawks missed one more shot immediately after a timeout before fouling three times in the final 33 seconds.

Southeast shot just 21 percent (3-of-14) in the last seven minutes of the game following its red-hot second-half start.

The Redhawks trailed by double figures at halftime in back-to-back games for the first time this season.

Southeast had a tough time slowing down Thornton, who scored 19 of his game-high 28 points in the opening period.

The Redhawks scored the first points of the game when Stone knocked down a pair of free throws 27 seconds in, but the Tigers responded with eight-straight points to key a 20-7 run.

Thornton scored six points and TSU knocked down three 3-pointers during that stretch which ended on Jordan Gaither's jumper with 12:34 remaining.

Thornton shot 11-of-16 from the field and a near-perfect 5-of-6 at the free throw line to lead all TSU scorers. He also pulled down a game-high 16 rebounds.

Miller followed with 20 points, including 14 in the second half. He made 7-of-13 field goals and 5-of-7 free throws.

Cyphers chipped in 14 points for the Tigers, as well.

Wilford led Southeast with 15 points, while Johnson followed with 14 and Stone and Niemczyk each added 13. Johnson and Stone also had eight rebounds apiece. Additionally, Niemczyk's 4-of-6 three-pointers were a season-high.

Southeast tied a season-high 11 three-pointers, but shot a season-low 37.5 percent (6-of-16) at the free throw line against TSU.

The Redhawks will look to snap a three-game losing streak when they return home to host Morehead State on Jan. 17. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m., CT, at the Show Me Center.