FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Southeast Missouri (5-5) saw a two-game road winning streak end with a 78-65 loss to Horizon League member Purdue Fort Wayne (5-5) Saturday afternoon at Memorial Coliseum.
SEMO, which never led in the game, had three players with double figures in the scoring column. Phillip Russell scored 17 points, while Eric Reed, Jr. added 14 and Chris Harris chipped in 11.
The Redhawks started slow missing eight of their first 11 field goals and their first five 3-point attempts of the contest.
After Reed, Jr. knocked down SEMO's first 3-pointer to tie things up at 15-15, PFW responded with an 11-0 run to build a 26-15 advantage. The Redhawks went scoreless for a period of five minutes during the Mastodons' surge.
SEMO later trailed, 30-20, when Dylan Branson scored eight points in a quick 1:26 to get the Redhawks within four. Branson buried a pair of 3-pointers and made a layup to make it a 32-28 game with 1:33 remaining in the first half.
The Mastodons would score four of the final six points of the first half to pull ahead, 36-30, at the intermission.
SEMO struggled beyond the arc shooting just 21.4 percent on 3-of-14 threes in the opening 20 minutes of play. Branson's eight first-half points matched his entire season total through SEMO's first nine games this year.
Reed, Jr.'s free throw closed PFW's lead to 36-31 early in the second half, but that was as close as SEMO would get the rest of the way.
The Mastodons led by 18 (78-60) when Jarred Godfrey drove the lane for a layup with 1:30 to go.
SEMO ended up shooting 25 percent (5-of-20) from long range and 44.4 percent (24-of-54) from the floor.
Russell made 5-of-9 field goals and 6-of-7 free throws en route to his eighth double-digit scoring performance in 10 starts. He is the only Redhawk who has started every game this year.
Reed, Jr. returned to the starting lineup after missing Wednesday's matchup with Evansville due to illness. He hit 5-of-10 field goals and drained one 3-pointer.
PFW, which shot 55 percent (27-of-49), sunk nine 3-pointers and outscored SEMO, 27-15, from distance. The Mastodons outrebounded the Redhawks, 29-25, as well.
Jalon Pipkins led all PFW scorers with a game-high 24 points and Godfrey followed with 16.
SEMO dropped to 2-3 all-time in its series vs. PFW after making its first trip to Fort Wayne since 2003-04.
Additionally, the Redhawks were without Nygal Russell, who did not make the trip due to illness.
The Redhawks cross the Mississippi River to face Southern Illinois on Dec. 15. SIU is the third Missouri Valley Conference opponent SEMO tangles with this season.
