CAPE GIRARDEAU,   Mo. – Rob Martin dropped in 21 points to lead Southeast Missouri (9-8, 4-2) in a 67-56 loss to Morehead State (10-7, 5-1) Saturday afternoon at the Show Me Center.
 
SEMO, which never led in the game, trailed by a point at halftime before a cold second-half start hurt the Redhawks.
 
The Redhawks began the second half by missing nine-straight field goals and went nearly seven minutes without a point. As a result, MSU used an 18-1 run to build an 18-point lead (45-27) and SEMO never recovered. 
 
The Eagles scored on seven of their first eight possessions to ignite their decisive surge. Troy Cole, Jr. put an end to the Redhawks drought with a fastbreak dunk at the 11:50 mark. 
 
SEMO later made eight-straight field goals to get within 10 points on four different occasions in less than a two-minute span. Each time the Redhawks did so, however, MSU answered and the Eagles didn't let their lead dip below double figures.
 
In the first half, SEMO was either tied, down two or within a point a total of 13 times.
 
Tied, 4-4, MSU went on a 10-4 run to take a 14-8 lead on a layup by Dieonte Miles with 12:34 left to play.
 
George Marshall later knocked down a 3-pointer to put the Eagles ahead by six again (24-18) with six minutes remaining.
 
Martin pulled up and buried a 3-pointer of his own off a pass from Teddy Washington, Jr. to cut MSU's lead to 24-23. 
 
Following an alleyoop dunk by Elliot Lowndes, Brendan Terry split a pair of free throws to make it a 27-26 game at the half.
 
Defensively, SEMO forced eight turnovers and had six steals in the first half. The Redhawks forced four of those turnovers in the opening 4:08 of the contest.
 
Martin made 8-of-12 field goals and drained a near-perfect 4-of-5 from downtown. It was his seventh double-digit scoring game and second with over 20 points this season.
 
Terry followed with 13 points and a team-high six rebounds.
 
MSU was led by Anouar Mellouk's double-double 18 points and 10 boards. The Eagles outrebounded the Redhawks, 41-18, for the game and shot 55.6 percent (15-of-27) from the field in the final 20 minutes.
 
The Redhawks entered the day in a three-way tie for first in the Ohio Valley Conference with MSU and Tennessee Tech before seeing their six-game home winning streak come to an end.
 
SEMO concludes its three-game homestand against Little Rock on Jan. 14.