CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Southeast Missouri men's basketball earned an 85-78 exhibition win over NCAA Division II member Southwest Baptist Saturday afternoon at the Show Me Center.
 
Preseason All-Ohio Valley Conference guard Ledarrius Brewer led the offense with 25 points in Southeast's only exhibition scheduled this season. Brewer was 3-for-7 from three-point range and hit 10 of 11 free throws in the victory.
 
SEMO started off slow as Southwest Baptist jumped out to a seven-point lead, 16-9, after a three-pointer from Andy Campbell.
 
Alex Caldwell then hit a three for Southeast to cut the deficit to 19-15 and a lay-in from Gabe McGlothan evened the game at 27-27.
 
The Bearcats then reclaimed the lead, 37-33, before Brewer drained a three-pointer from half court off a feed from Isaiah Gable to give Southeast a slight 39-38 edge.
 
SEMO shot 50 percent (13-for-26) and converted five of its 13 three-point attempts in the opening half.
 
In the second half, Southwest Baptist grew their advantage to five, 46-41, on a basket from Damian Prgomet before Jonathan Dalton knocked down a three to push the lead back in SEMO's favor, 53-46.
 
Nygal Russell's lay-up then extended the Redhawks lead to nine, 55-46, and a Skyler Hogan jumper gave SEMO their largest advantage of the game, 64-51, with 8:59 left in the game.
 
Karim Mouliom cut Southeast's lead to a point, 75-74, before SEMO hit nine consecutive free throws with less than two minutes remaining in regulation to keep the Bearcats at bay.
 
The Redhawks made 27 of 35 free throws in the contest and totaled 30 points in the paint.
 
Southeast relied heavily on its bench which tallied 34 points. Caldwell was second on the team with 12 points off the bench and McGlothan and Russell each chipped in 10.
 
McGlothan was one rebound short of a double-double, leading the team with nine to complement his 10 points.
 
Russell, Oscar Kao, Sage Tolbert, Hogan, Caldwell, and McGlothan each made their Redhawk debuts in the victory. Hogan and Tolbert each started the game along with Brewer, Dalton and Gable.
 
Southeast opens its 2018 regular season slate on Tuesday, Nov. 6 in Saint Louis, Missouri, against Saint Louis.