CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. –
Chris Harris and
Eric Reed, Jr. each scored 19 points, and
Nolan Taylor added 16 points and eight rebounds to lead Southeast Missouri (2-1) to an 82-77 win over Preseason Atlantic Sun Conference favorite Lipscomb (1-4) Monday night.
SEMO and Lipscomb met for the first time on the front end of a quick home-and-home series in three days.
The Redhawks led for the final 11:04 of the game after Reed, Jr.'s jumper gave them a 56-55 edge. SEMO then didn't lead by any more than six points and fought off a Lipscomb team that pulled to within one six times in the last 10 minutes.
Jordan Love drove the lane and scored a big basket to put the Redhawks up, 78-72, at the 2:24 mark. SEMO later made four free throws in the final 1:01 to polish off its second victory of the season.
Lipscomb got hot early making six of its first seven 3-pointers of the tight contest. The strong shooting opened a 22-13 lead for the Bisons nearly six-and-a-half minutes in.
SEMO answered with a 13-2 run to take its first lead. Harris buried a 3-pointer to give the Redhawks a 26-24 cushion with just under 10 minutes in the first half. Harris followed his own three with a jumper on SEMO's ensuing possession.
The Redhawks led for the remainder of the first half and stretched their lead to five on three occasions when Reed, Jr. drained a 3-pointer and Taylor and
DQ Nicholas each made layups. SEMO held a 39-37 edge at the intermission.
Harris shot 7-of-13 from the field, made three 3-pointers and dished out three assists in the fifth double-digit scoring game of his career.
Reed, Jr. gave SEMO a huge spark off the bench going 8-of-10 from the field and 3-of-4 from 3-point range.
Meanwhile, Taylor was a force underneath. He finished with 5-of-9 field goals, 6-of-8 free throws, five offensive rebounds and five assists in 28 minutes.
Nicholas rounded out the Redhawks double figure scorers with 12 points, five assists and a game-high three steals.
As a team, SEMO shot 48.4 percent (30-of-62) from the field and outrebounded the Bisons, 31-25. The Redhawks also scored 23 points off 13 Lipscomb turnovers and held a 12-1 advantage in second chance points.
Nana Akenten, who made his first career SEMO start, chipped in nine points and seven rebounds. Akenten also drained three 3-pointers as the Redhawks hit 10 threes in a game for the second time this year.
Jake Wolfe scored 22 points as one of four Lipscomb starters in double figures. The Bisons shot 54.9 percent (28-of-51) from the floor and also buried 10 three-pointers.
First-year SEMO head coach
Brad Korn won the first home game of his career.
The Redhawks will return the trip to Lipscomb Wednesday.