Box Score Final Statistics | PDF Version

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Corey Walden scored 17 points and No. 3 Eastern Kentucky (22-9) made 10 three-pointers en route to a 84-76 victory over No. 6 Southeast Missouri (18-14) Thursday night in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament quarterfinals.

Southeast and EKU met for the fourth-straight year in the OVC Tournament and this was the second season in a row that the Colonels eliminated the Redhawks in the quarterfinals. EKU also put an end to Southeast's five-game winning streak.

"I congratulate Eastern Kentucky on a game well-played," said Southeast head coach Dickey Nutt. "Their pressure bothered us early and that set the tone. We had to play catch-up all night."

Southeast turned the ball over on three of its first four possessions and missed seven of its first eight field goals. The Redhawks, who never led in the game, went scoreless for 4:37 after the opening tip until Tyler Stone's layup stopped the drought with 15:23 remaining.

EKU, which has the league's top scoring defense, wound up going on a hefty 28-8 run that put the Redhawks in a hole they couldn't get out of.
 
The Colonels keyed their big surge with six three-pointers, hitting four of those on five possessions. Orlando Williams accounted for three treys and Walden added one. Tarius Johnson and Isaac McGlone each made a jumper to cap the run with just under eight minutes left.
 
Timmy Knipp's three-pointer then gave EKU another 20-point lead, this time at 32-12 before Southeast answered with an 8-0 jaunt.
 
Jamaal Calvin came off the bench and sunk two three-pointers and the Redhawks later cut EKU's lead to 32-22 on Jarekious Bradley's free throws with 1:46 left to play. Marcus Lewis' jumper sent EKU into the locker room with a 39-25 lead, snapping a streak of five-straight games where Southeast led at the half.

Southeast, however, wouldn't go away quietly and played like an entirely different team in the second half.

Stone scored 15 second-half points to send a charge into the Redhawks. Down, 70-49, Southeast used a 12-1 run to get to within 10. Calvin made four free throws and Bradley contributed a pair of threes with his second dicing EKU's lead to 71-61 with 4:07 left.

Moments after Bradley splashed in another three to cut the Colonels lead to nine, Nino Johnson got a steal. Calvin then tossed in a three to quickly make it a two-possession game at 79-73 with 31 seconds, but Southeast's comeback came a little too late.

Bradley led four Redhawks in double figures with 18 points, while Stone ended an outstanding Southeast career with 17 points and six rebounds. He scored just two points in the first half before rallying the Redhawks in the game's final 20 minutes.

Calvin followed with 17 points and Johnson turned in a double-double 10 points and 11 rebounds.

Southeast outscored EKU, 51-45, and shot 53.3 percent (16-of-30) from the field in the second half.

Meanwhile, the Colonels shot 52.2 percent (24-of-46) on the night and made 50 percent (10-of-20) of their threes. Walden, Glenn Cosey (15), Williams (14) and Johnson (12) all put up double-digits in the scoring column for EKU.