CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Southeast Missouri (4-3) stormed out to a 36-1 run in the first 10 minutes of the second half to blow by Central Arkansas (1-6), 87-63, Thursday night at the Show Me Center.
 
SEMO, which trailed 37-30 at halftime, caught fire to make 14 of its first 20 field goals to immediately take over the game.
 
"I was really pleased with the way we competed in the second half," SEMO head coach Rick Ray said. "We played with a sense of urgency and that was the difference. We got a lot of loose balls that really helped ignite our transition offense."
 
Trey Kellum and Jaylen Benton each went on a rampage after a slow start. Kellum, who had just four points in the first half, exploded for 17 second-half points and Benton added 13 after going scoreless in the game's first 20 minutes.
 
Clearly a tale of two halves, there was no stopping the Redhawks in the second stanza.
 
SEMO nailed 10 three-pointers shot 55.6 percent from beyond the arc and put the exclamation point on its fourth win of the season with a blazing 59.5 percent (22-of-37) shooting display in the final 20 minutes alone.
 
Kellum's layup gave the Redhawks their largest lead at 66-38 with 11:38 remaining before SEMO cruised to victory.
 
SEMO fell behind early after UCA heated up to score on each of its first four possessions of the game.
 
Mathieu Kamba and Derreck Brooks drained a 3-pointer, while Jordan Howard and Brooks added jumpers to grab the Bears a quick 10-0 lead just 2:16 in.
 
The Redhawks chopped UCA's lead to one when Antonius Cleveland knocked down a 3-pointer to make it 23-22 at the 6:14 mark, but the Bears countered with a 12-3 run to regain a double-digit advantage.
 
Howard, who had 11 first-half points, had five during that surge which was capped by Kamba's jumper that widened UCA's lead to 35-25 with 2:31 left to play.
 
The Bears shot 59.3 percent (16-of-27) from the field in the first half to propel their strong start. SEMO managed to hit just 37.9 percent (11-of-29) of its shots.
 
Kellum led all scorers with 21 points and nine rebounds, one of four SEMO starters in double figures. He shot 10-of-14 from the field and fell two points shy of matching his career-high.
 
Cleveland and Benton followed with 13 points apiece and Denzel Mahoney added 12. Jamaal Calvin had nine assists and four steals in 20 minutes, as well.
 
As a team, the Redhawks dished out a season-high 28 assists on 33 made baskets. SEMO outscored UCA, 57-26, for a +31 margin in the second half. Additionally, the Redhawks shot a season-high 34 three-pointers.
 
"That is an amazing statistic," Ray said. "Twenty-eight assists on 33 made baskets indicates you are really sharing the basketball."
 
Howard led UCA with 15 points, as the Bears dropped under 30 percent (27.6, 8-of-29) from the field in the second half.
 
SEMO travels to #13 Indiana Dec. 4. That game will be televised live on ESPN2.