Box Score Final Statistics | PDF Version

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Jarekious Bradley and Tyler Stone each turned in a double-double and seven different players scored double figures to lead Southeast Missouri (17-13, 8-8) to a 118-115 double overtime victory over rival Murray State (18-10, 13-3) Saturday in the regular-season finale at the Show Me Center.

Southeast left everything on the court in an all-out war between Ohio Valley Conference heavyweights.

"Our guys went to another level tonight and it was a hard fought game," said Southeast head coach Dickey Nutt. "We were resilient and it was an unbelievable win in a great atmosphere. Our crowd really made a difference and we left every ounce of effort out there."

The Redhawks, who are heating up at the right time, will carry a four-game winning streak to next week's OVC Tournament. Southeast is the No. 6 seed and will face No. 7 Eastern Illinois in the first round at 8 p.m., CT, on Wednesday, Mar. 5. No. 1 Belmont, No. 2 Murray State, No. 3 Eastern Kentucky, No. 4 Morehead State, No. 5 Tennessee Tech and No. 8 SIU Edwardsville complete this year's eight-team field.

Southeast led, 92-89, with 1:35 left before T.J. Sapp buried a three-pointer to tie the game with 20 seconds remaining in regulation.

MSU then had a chance to win in the first overtime when freshman Cameron Payne went to the free throw line with four seconds on the clock. Payne missed two free throws leaving the game at a 105-105 deadlock to set up another overtime period.

Southeast managed to outscore the Racers, 13-10, in the final OT, as freshman Antonius Cleveland sent a big jolt into the Redhawks by scoring seven points. Cleveland answered with game-tying baskets twice after MSU took the lead. He followed that up by splashing in a huge three-pointer to give Southeast a 114-111 edge at the 2:06 mark.

After Sapp made two free throws to cut the lead to one (114-113), freshman Jamaal Calvin countered with two clutch free throws with 11 seconds left.

On the ensuing possession, Darrian Gray blocked Payne's shot, Stone got the rebound and pitched the ball ahead to Nino Johnson. Johnson rocked the arena with a breakaway two-handed dunk as time expired. Fans rushed the court and were later sent back to their seats as Johnson was tagged with a Class B technical foul for hanging on the rim. Jeffery Moss made two free throws to narrow the gap to 118-115 with 0.4 seconds left.

Both MSU and Southeast were red-hot out of the gate as each made 10 of their first 14 field goals for a scorching 71.4 percent.
 
MSU scored 18 of its first 29 points of the game from three-point range, connecting three times in four possessions to build an eight-point lead. Moss, Payne and Sapp each dialed up from long distance with Sapp's make stretching the Racers lead to 32-24 with 11:07 left to play.
 
Southeast weathered MSU's barrage of threes and responded with an 11-5 run to pull to within two. Cleveland threw down a dunk, made two free throws and forced a steal which led to a Bradley layup. Bradley's transition basket cut the Racers lead to 35-33 at the 7:08 mark.
 
Two possessions later, Southeast made it a two-point game again when Josh Langford scored a layup to dice MSU's lead to 37-35 (6:12).
 
Shortly after Moss' bucket gave the Racers 42-39 edge, Stone knocked down a three at the top of the key to tie the game. Stone's shot was followed by a Bradley layup the next time the Redhawks had the ball. Bradley rebounded Cleveland's missed layup and scored to give Southeast a 44-42 lead with 3:10 remaining.
 
Jonathan Fairell's jumper tied things up at 44-44, before the Redhawks gained more momentum prior to the intermission.
 
Langford made a layup and Calvin came off the bench to drain a three on back-to-back Southeast possessions, giving the Redhawks a 52-46 advantage at the half.
 
Calvin led all scorers at the half with 13 points, including nine from downtown. Stone added 11, while four of five MSU starters had double-digits in the scoring column in the game's opening 20 minutes. Southeast shot over 60 percent (.625) from the field in the first half, as well. 
 
Bradley led all Southeast scorers with 24 points and 10 rebounds.

Cleveland tossed in a season-high 21 points on 9-of-14 from the field and 2-of-4 at the free throw line.

"Antonius put us on his shoulders," commented Nutt. "He and fellow freshman Jamaal Calvin played well and made some pressure shots."

Stone scored 17 points and had 14 rebounds to earn his third-straight double-double and fourth in five starts. He shot 6-of-13 from the field and 3-of-4 at the free throw line, while dishing out four assists and getting two steals.

Langford and Calvin also had 17 points apiece, while Lucas Nutt chipped in 10. Seven of the eight Southeast players who played were in double figures.

Payne and Jarvis Williams led MSU with 25 points each. Sapp and Moss were close behind with 24 and 22 points, respectively. Dexter Fields was the fourth Racer starter in double figures with 15 points.

Southeast shot 56.4 percent (44-of-78) and outrebounded MSU, 46-34, on the night. The Redhawk bench held a hefty 62-24 advantage, as well.

A deafening season-best Show Me Center crowd of 3,607 witnessed the epic battle between the Redhawks and Racers, as Southeast moved to 2-1 in overtime games this season. Additionally, the Redhawks beat both Austin Peay and MSU at home in the same year for the first time since 1991-92, the inaugural season of their NCAA Division I era.