COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Eric Reed, Jr. scored a career-high 35 points and Southeast Missouri (11-16, 6-8) scored a season-high in an Ohio Valley Conference road game, but came up short in a 98-94 loss to Tennessee Tech (8-19, 5-9) Thursday night at the Eblen Center.
 
SEMO was within three or less points a total of 21 times in the second half, but couldn't get the lead. The Golden Eagles also made 11-straight free throws in the final 1:29 to seal their victory.
 
Every time the Redhawks threatened, the Golden Eagles answered. 
 
Reed, Jr. made two free throws to tie the game at 81-81 with just under four minutes to go, but TTU countered with points on five occasions when it was a one-possession contest from that point on.
 
Both teams scored 54 points in a back-and-forth second half that saw TTU shoot 58.6 percent (17-of-29) from the field and connect on 18 of 22 free throw attempts.
 
SEMO started the game strong with a 16-5 run and caught fire from 3-point range where it drained its first seven threes in a row.
 
Reed, Jr. scored eight of his first 10 points during the game's opening four minutes and Nana Akenten came off the bench to knock down three 3-pointers. 
 
Sam Thompson made a layup, was fouled and converted a 3-point play to put the Redhawks ahead, 32-20, with 9:03 remaining.
 
After Manny Patterson's layup regained a double-digit lead (38-27) for SEMO, a quick five-point swing ignited a 17-2 run for the Golden Eagles. The Redhawks turned the ball over six times in a 4:45 stretch.
 
Shandon Goldman scored the last five points of the first half and gave TTU its first lead when he knocked down a corner 3-pointer. He followed that up with layup as time expired giving the Golden Eagles a 44-40 cushion at the intermission.
 
Reed, Jr. and Patterson reached double figures with 12 and 10 points, respectively, in the first half. SEMO, which shot 59 percent from the field in the early part of the first half, went cold missing its final eight shots of the opening stanza. 
 
Reed, Jr. shot 11-of-24 from the field, buried four 3-pointers and hit 9-of-11 free throws en route to his second 30-point effort this season. He scored 23 of his points in the second half. Patterson turned in a double-double 20 points and 10 rebounds. He matched his season-high in points that he reached five days ago vs. Belmont.
 
Akenten added 14 points with all but two coming from downtown.
 
SEMO shot 45.1 percent (32-of-71) and only missed twice at the free throw line (18-of-20). The Redhawks also outrebounded the Golden Eagles, 43-32.
 
Six of the nine Golden Eagles that played finished with double figures in the scoring column. Jr. Clay scored 19 points and was a near-perfect 9-of-10 at the free throw line.
 
The Redhawks remain on the road to face Morehead State Saturday.