CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Josh Earley scored 16 points and Southeast Missouri (7-12, 2-4) made six free throws in the final 21 seconds to upend SIU Edwardsville (11-9, 4-3), 52-47, Saturday at the Show Me Center.
 
SEMO overcame an eight-point deficit and buried six of its seven second-half free throws in the final seconds to pick up its seventh win of the season.
 
SEMO and SIUE played a tight first half that featured five ties and eight lead changes.
 
Both teams went scoreless for over four minutes until Earley and Damarco Minor traded baskets giving the game a 15-15 deadlock with 7:19 remaining.
 
Adam Larson later put SEMO ahead, 19-15, with under five minutes to go.
 
Then, after both SIUE (0-of-8) and SEMO (0-of-5) went a combined 0-of-13 from 3-point range, Shamar Wright hit the game's first shot from beyond the arc. Evan Eursher buried a three of his own on the Redhawks next possession giving SEMO a 22-18 advantage with 4:07 left.
 
Terrance Thompson's hookshot regained a 25-24 edge for SIUE and Minor followed with a stepback 3-pointer at the buzzer sending the Cougars into the intermission with a 28-24 cushion.
 
The Redhawks at one point missed nine-straight field goals and went over five minutes without scoring in the second half.
 
Rob Martin ended that lengthy stretch when he made a jumper, was fouled and added a free throw to cut SIUE's lead to 38-33 with 10:11 remaining.
 
Earley scored the next four points on second chance baskets to get SEMO within two (39-37) at the 8:22 mark.
 
Then, after SIUE missed nine field goals in a row, Shamar Wright pulled up for a jumper just ahead of a media timeout.
 
SEMO came up empty on 11 of 12 three-pointers before Eursher connected for the second time from distance making it a one-point game, 41-40, with just under six minutes on the clock.
 
After Martin fed Earley for a layup, Martin drove in for a basket to put the Redhawks up, 44-43, their first lead since the 1:12 mark of the opening stanza. 
 
Martin came up big again on SEMO's ensuing possession, this time burying a jumper to increase the Redhawks margin to three.
 
Wright answered with a second-chance layup to trim SEMO's lead to one and the Redhawks turned the ball over on their next time down the floor. 
 
Earley blocked Lamar Wright's layup and SEMO regained possession.
 
Braxton Stacker was fouled and made two free throws to grab the Redhawks a 48-45 lead with 22.4 seconds left.
 
Minor's game-tying 3-point attempt came off the rim and SEMO pulled down the rebound Stacker was then fouled again and sunk two more free throws.
 
Larson was the last Redhawk to get to the free throw line and made both of his attempts to polish off the victory.
 
Earley, who scored double figures for the fourth-straight game, shot 7-of-15 from the field and led SEMO with eight rebounds. Martin followed with 10 points and a game-high five assists.
 
Minor led all scorers with 21 points for SIUE.
 
SEMO hits the road for a three-game stretch beginning at UT Martin on Jan. 25.