CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Josh Earley scored 14 points and Evan Eursher tied a career-high 13 to lead Southeast Missouri (6-10) to a 71-61 win over Bethel (Tenn.) (10-5) Saturday afternoon at the Show Me Center.
 
SEMO stepped out of conference play to host the Wildcats in its final non-league matchup of the season. With the win, the Redhawks finished off a 4-0 record against non-Division I teams this year and ran its winning streak to 37-straight against schools below the Division I level.
 
Both teams were hot out of the gate, each shooting over 54 percent from the field in the first half.
 
Down, 11-9, Bethel went on an 8-0 run to grab a six-point advantage less than seven minutes into the contest. 
 
The Wildcats extended their lead to eight on two occasions before SEMO battled back to take a one-point edge at the intermission.
 
Earley's hookshot narrowed Bethel's margin to 25-22 and Rob Martin's pullup jumper later made it a two-point game at 30-28 with 3:57 to go.
 
In the last 2:38, SEMO finished strong by scoring six of the final eight points. 
 
TJ Biel's layup off a turnover came after Adam Larson nailed a 3-pointer. A driving layup by Eursher off another Wildcats miscue trimmed Bethel's lead to one. Martin then drove in for a layup with three seconds on the clock to put the Redhawks ahead.
 
The Redhawks shot 54.8 percent hitting 17-of-31 field goals in the opening stanza. Bethel, meanwhile, shot 56.7 percent on 17-of-30 attempts.
 
Tied, 41-41, early in the second half, SEMO went on a 9-0 run and didn't relinquish its lead from that point on.
 
Eursher keyed the surge with seven of the points. His third jumper in that stretch gave the Redhawks a 50-41 advantage at the 13:49 mark.
 
SEMO continued to pick apart the Wildcats outscoring them 20-7 to build a 61-48 lead since the 16:46 mark. Braxton Stacker and Dylan Branson each made a layup to finish off an 8-0 jaunt and get the Redhawks their first double-digit lead.
 
Bethel put together a 7-0 run to make it a two-possession game (61-55) with just over five minutes remaining. That, however, was as close as the Wildcats would get.
 
Earley shot 7-of-11 from the field and scored double figures in back-to-back games for the first time this season. Eursher, who also played well defensively, made 5-of-9 field goals and dished out four assists in 25 minutes off the bench.
 
Martin pitched in 12 points for the Redhawks, as well. Additionally, Biel just missed a double-double with nine points and nine rebounds.
 
SEMO shot 50.9 percent (29-of-57) for the game and scored 22 points off 15 Bethel turnovers.

Brad Korn, in his fourth year at SEMO, picked up his 50th career win as head coach.

Querrion Gadson turned in a double-double 18 points and 12 rebounds to pace the Wildcats.
 
The Redhawks, now 6-2 at home this season, remain in Cape Girardeau to host in-state rival Lindenwood on Jan. 11.