CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Teddy Washington, Jr. had a double-double 28 points and 10 rebounds to lead Southeast Missouri (5-6, 1-0) to a 79-72 win over Eastern Illinois (3-8, 0-1) Thursday night in the Ohio Valley Conference opener for both teams.
 
SEMO did not trail for the second-straight game and began OVC play with a win for the second year in a row.
 
After EIU made it a one-point game to start the second half, Washington, Jr. took over.
 
He did not miss a field goal (5-of-5) in the first 7:16 of the second half. He nailed a 3-pointer, was fouled and converted a 4-point play to give the Redhawks a 55-45 advantage with 13:42 remaining.
 
Washington, Jr. accounted for six of his team's first 10 made field goals in the second half and scored 24 points in the final 20 minutes of play. His fifth 3-pointer pushed SEMO's lead to 67-51 with just under eight minutes left. 
 
A native of Blytheville, Arkansas, Washington, Jr. shot a scorching 72.7 percent (8-of-11) and made five 3-pointers in his huge second half.
 
SEMO scored seven of the game's first eight points and quickly went ahead by six on Elliot Lowndes dunk just 2:07 into the contest.
 
After Kooper Jacobi made a layup to get EIU within two (19-17), SEMO went on a 7-2 run. Rob Martin knocked down a 3-pointer to cap the surge which extended the Redhawks lead to 26-19 with 8:18 remaining in the first half.
 
Lowndes' layup later gave the Redhawks their biggest lead of the half at 32-24 with a little over six minutes left.
 
EIU countered by scoring nine of the next 13 points and trimmed SEMO's lead to 36-33 on a step back jumper by Malik Olafioye.
 
SEMO, despite going the final 6:07 of the first half without a field goal, kept a 38-35 edge at the intermission.
 
The Redhawks assisted all 12 of their made field goals in the opening stanza.
 
Washington, Jr. shot 8-of-15 from the field, 5-of-10 from 3-point range and a perfect 7-of-7 at the free throw line in 38 minutes. His 28 points and 10 rebounds both matched season-highs. It was his team-high third double-double, as well.

Brendan Terry followed with 13 points as SEMO shot a season-best 56.3 percent (27-of-48) from the floor. The Redhawks knocked down 10 or more three-pointer for the fourth time this year.
 
The Redhawks host SIU Edwardsville in their final game before the Christmas holiday Saturday.