ROSEMONT, Ill. – Antonius Cleveland scored a career-high 28 points and Jamaal Calvin pitched in a career-best 20, as Southeast Missouri (4-8) fell in the final seconds to DePaul (7-4), 81-78, Monday.
 
SEMO had a chance to take the lead and send the game to overtime in the last 13 seconds.
 
After Billy Garrett made two free throws to give DePaul a 79-78 edge, Daniel Simmons' 3-pointer missed with 13 seconds left.
 
Tre'Darius McCallum was fouled and went to the free throw line to calmly make both of his free throws, giving the Blue Demons an 81-78 lead one second later.
 
Calvin's 3-pointer at the buzzer then bounced off the rim and DePaul escaped.
 
The Blue Demons, after blowing a 15-point lead in the first half, overcame a 14-point second-half deficit to edge the Redhawks.
 
Cleveland completed a 3-point play to give SEMO a 57-43 advantage before DePaul answered with a 12-0 run. The Blue Demons then tied the game at 60-60 on a layup by Garrett.
 
Shortly after that, R.J. Curington scored a layup to regain the lead and finish off a 19-3 run for DePaul at the 7:42 mark.
 
The Blue Demons did not miss a free throw down the stretch, going 8-of-8 in the final 5:41 to secure the victory.
 
SEMO trailed 23-8 with 9:18 left to play in the first half, but made a furious recovery. After struggling to a 1-of-6 start from 3-point range, the Redhawks heated up to drain eight of their final 10 threes of the opening stanza. Calvin made his first six treys of the contest.
 
The Redhawks took their first lead when Cleveland stole the ball and threw down a one-handed dunk to go ahead, 30-29, at the 2:38 mark.
 
SEMO outscored DePaul, 30-10, in the last 9:18 of the first half en route to grabbing a 38-33 lead at the intermission. At one point, the Redhawks buried a 3-pointer on four-straight possessions.
 
SEMO took its first halftime lead since Nov. 22 and recorded its best first half field goal percentage (.500, 13-of-26) of the season. The Redhawks nine 3-pointers marked a season-high in the first half, as well.
 
Cleveland shot 12-of-17 from the field, knocked down two 3-pointers, dished out five assists and had two steals. He scored 20 or more points for the fifth time this season and 14^th of his career.
 
Calvin was 6-of-8 from 3-point range and 2-of-2 at the free throw line. He also added two assists and four rebounds.
 
Simmons scored double figures off the bench for the third-straight game, finishing with 14 points.
 
SEMO shot 50.9 percent (27-of-53) from the field for the night and buried 13 three-pointers.
 
DePaul shot 62.5 percent (15-of-24) and made 12-of-14 free throws in its big second half.
 
Five Blue Demons scored double figures led by Garrett's 18 points.
 
SEMO heads to Las Vegas, Nevada to face Chicago State Thursday.