CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Ray Kowalski and Ledarrius Brewer each scored 15 points to lead five players in double figures as Southeast Missouri beat Missouri Southern, 85-77, Saturday night at the Show Me Center.
 
SEMO closed out its exhibition season with a 2-0 record and will officially tip-off its 2017-18 campaign at home against Missouri Baptist on Nov. 10.
 
The Redhawks led, 40-24, following a Mark Laros jumper with 5:49 remaining in the first half before Missouri Southern used a 15-0 run to pull to within a point.
 
SEMO went 1-of-10 from the field during that span which saw the Lions make six field goals. CJ Carr and Elyjah Clark each dropped in a 3-pointer with Clark's trey closing the gap to 40-39 at the 2:24 mark.
 
The Redhawks went scoreless for a period of 4:22 before Milos Vranes buried a 3-pointer at the top of the arc to put SEMO ahead by four. Carr answered with a three on the next possession to make it a 43-42 game at the half.
 
Missouri Southern opened the second half on a 12-2 run and took its largest lead of the night at 54-45 with 17:22 to go.
 
SEMO then responded with a 20-2 surge and never turned back.
 
Laros pitched in six points, while Denzel Mahoney and Dondre Duffus each added five to key the run that ended on Duffus' free throw at the 10:31 mark.
 
Missouri Southern managed to pull to within three when Koray Gilbert cut SEMO's lead to 65-62 with 9:55 left, but that was as close as the Lions would get.
 
Duffus converted a conventional 3-point play to put SEMO up by double figures at 79-69 with just under four minutes remaining. Two free throws by Brewer gave the Redhawks their biggest lead (85-72) before capping the 85-77 victory.
 
SEMO shot 51.5 percent (34-of-66) from the field for the game and made 54.8 percent (17-of-31) of its attempts in the second half alone.
 
Kowalski shot 6-of-10 from the floor and buried three 3-pointers. Brewer also went 6-of-10 and played 22 minutes off the bench.
 
Mahoney followed with 13 points, Laros chipped in 10 points and seven rebounds and Duffus contributed 12 points, four assists and two steals.
 
Carr, who formerly played at SIU Edwardsville, led Missouri Southern with 18 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds.

All proceeds from tonight's game were donated to the American Red Cross to assist with hurricane relief efforts.