CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Antonius Cleveland scored a game-high 20 points as Southeast Missouri (4-5) fell to in-state foe Missouri State (5-2), 79-71, Wednesday night at the Show Me Center.
 
SEMO, which never led, shot just 38.7 percent from the field and was outrebounded, 42-29, in its second-straight loss.
 
The Redhawks started slow, missing their first six field goals of the game. As a result, SEMO trailed, 18-7, in the opening 9:44. Alize Johnson and Austin Ruder each had six points to key the surge, which ended on Johnson's jumper.
 
MSU led by 11 on two more occasions before the Redhawks went on a 12-4 run to cut the Bears lead to 29-26 at the half. Cleveland accounted for five points and split two free throws to make it a one possession game in the final minute of the period.
 
SEMO shot 28.6 percent (8-of-28) from the field and was 2-of-13 (15.4 pct.) from 3-point range in the first half.
 
Cleveland knocked down a 3-pointer to pull the Redhawks within a point (33-32) early in the second half, but that was as close as SEMO would get.
 
MSU quickly countered with an 8-0 run capped by Jarred Dixon's free throw with 14:53 left to play, putting the Bears ahead, 41-32.
 
Ruder later buried a 3-pointer to widen MSU's lead to 49-39 with a little under 10 minutes remaining.
 
After that, the Bears led by as many as 14 points four times in the final five minutes to close out the win.
 
Johnson turned in a double-double 18 points and 13 rebounds to lead MSU. Dequon Miller followed with 17 points, while Ruder chipped in 16 off the bench and Jarrid Rhodes finished with 10.
 
The Bears shot 51.9 percent (27-of-52) for the night and made 16-of-29 shots (55.2 pct.) in the second half alone.
 
Cleveland shot 8-of-10 from the field and scored nine of his points from 3-point range. He also dished out two assists, grabbed four rebounds and had a steal in 35 minutes. Cleveland ran his double-digit scoring streak to 19-straight games.
 
Denzel Mahoney and Trey Kellum followed with 14 and 13 points, respectively. Kellum, who also led the Redhawks with eight boards, went over 200 rebounds in his career (206).

SEMO went 8-of-26 from 3-point range and has now attempted a combined 113 threes in its last four games. The Redhawks averaged 28.3 three-point attempts over and shot 31 percent from beyond the arc over that stretch.
 
The Redhawks close out their brief homestand when they host Horizon League member Northern Kentucky Saturday. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m., CT, at the Show Me Center.