CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo.– Chris Harris scored 16 points and knocked down the game-winning 3-pointer as Southeast Missouri (1-1) edged Purdue Fort Wayne (1-2), 79-78, Sunday at the Show Me Center.
 
SEMO trailed, 78-75, with 1:17 remaining when Sage Tolbert split two free throws to make it a two-point game with less than a minute to go. 
 
After a timeout, Harris quickly buried his 3-pointer off a pass from Isaiah Gable to put the Redhawks ahead with 27 seconds on the clock.
 
SEMO's defense came up huge getting two stops in that span to hang on for its first win of the season. Purdue Fort Wayne's Matt Holba missed a 3-pointer, Jarred Godfrey grabbed the rebound and Brian Patrick took one final shot for the Mastodons, but missed his layup.\
 
"Purdue Fort Wayne is an extremely difficult team to prepare for," said SEMO head coach Rick Ray. "In order to beat them, you have to be solid on the defensive end."
 
SEMO forced 15 turnovers and scored 20 points off those miscues. 
 
The Redhawks held a 15-point advantage (51-36) with 16:39 remaining before Purdue Fort Wayne went on a 37-21 run to take the lead. Godfrey made two free throws to give the Mastodons a 73-72 lead at the 2:53 mark.
 
Following a turnover, Marcus DeBerry drained a 3-pointer at the top of the arc to make it a two-possession (76-72) contest. 
 
Alex Caldwell answered with a huge 3-pointer of his own to pull SEMO to within one and set up the exciting finish.
 
Tied, 29-29, in the first half, SEMO went on an 11-0 run to take double-digit lead (40-29). Nine of those 11 points came at the free throw line. Harris capped the surge with his two free throws with 1:35 left before the Redhawks headed into the locker room up, 40-32.
 
Both SEMO and Purdue Fort Wayne put four of their starters in double figures.
 
Harris led the Redhawks with double figures in the scoring column for the second time this season and scored all 31 of his points off the bench in two games.
 
Caldwell followed with 12 points, while Quatarrius Wilson and Tolbert narrowly missed double-doubles with 11 points and eight rebounds apiece. Skyler Hogan added 11 points, as well
 
SEMO shot 44.6 percent (25-of-56) from the field and outscored, Purdue Fort Wayne, 21-16, at the free throw line. Defensively, the Redhawks held the Mastodons to 40.6 percent (26-of-64). 
 
Purdue Fort Wayne made 10-of-31 three-pointers for a 32.3 percent clip.
 
Brian Patrick led the Mastodons with a double-double 24 points and 12 rebounds. Holba contributed 17 points and nine boards, while DeBerry and Dylan Carl pitched in 12 and 11, respectively.
 
The Redhawks won their fourth-straight home-opener under Ray. SEMO also improved to 23-6 all-time in home-openers since it joined the NCAA Division I ranks in 1991-92.
 
SEMO resumes its three-game home stand when it hosts The Citadel on Nov. 19.