NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Teddy Washington, Jr. scored 11 points, had a season-high seven steals and made a big free throw with seven seconds left to give Southeast Missouri (8-6, 3-0) a close 67-65 win over Tennessee State (4-10, 0-3) Thursday night at the Gentry Center.
 
SEMO extended its winning streak to five games and moved to 3-0 to start Ohio Valley Conference play for the first time since 2011-12. The five game-winning streak is the longest under Head Coach Brad Korn and SEMO's first since 2013-14.
 
In a back-and-forth physical contest that featured 10 ties and 10 lead changes, the Redhawks prevailed in their first conference road victory of the season.
 
SEMO outscored TSU, 18-12, at the free throw line and made six of those in the final 2:44 of the game to hold off the Tigers.
 
Braxton Stacker regained a 63-62 edge for the Redhawks and Brendan Terry later tied the game at 65-65 on his two free throws with 1:30 to go after SEMO was down two.
 
TSU had a chance to take the lead on its next possession, but Justus Johnson missed a jumper and BJ Ward was fouled with 24 seconds left. Ward made the second of his two free throws to give SEMO a 66-65 cushion.
 
Washington, Jr. then stole the ball from Brandon Weston and went to the free throw line with seven seconds to go. Washington, Jr. also split two free throws with his first making the score 67-65.
 
The Tigers had the ball one last time and SEMO held on when Carlous Williams air balled a 3-pointer at the buzzer.
 
SEMO seized momentum early building a 10-0 lead in the opening 2:35 of the contest. 
 
Terry split two free throws and Elliot Lowndes threw down a two-handed jam. Washington, Jr. followed with a 3-pointer, Rob Martin made a jumper, and Lowndes added another basket to grab the double-digit advantage.
 
TSU answered with a 12-2 run when the Redhawks missed seven of eight shots and did not score for a span of four-and-a-half minutes. Aaron Nkrumah's 3-pointer made it a 12-12 game with 10:21 remaining in the first half.
 
After Josh Ogundele's jumper gave the Tigers their first lead at 17-15, SEMO answered with an 8-0 surge. Troy Cole, Jr. tied things up on a layup, Ward scored the next four points and David Idada scored a layup putting SEMO ahead, 23-17, with 6:39 left.
 
The Redhawks took a six-point (29-23) lead again on Stacker's dunk and held a
31-27 lead at the half.
 
TSU used a 14-4 run to regain the lead, this time at 41-35. The Tigers pulled ahead on Ronald Jessamy's layup and capped that stretch on Ogudele's free throw with 15:45 to go.
 
Terry immediately responded with a dunk to ignite a seven-point jaunt that put the Redhawks up one (42-41). Washington, Jr. buried a 3-pointer and Martin made a layup after Terry's slam. 
 
Cole, Jr.'s 3-pointer narrowed TSU's lead to two and Marqueas Bell then tied the game at 51-51 after getting a steal and scoring on a fast break layup. Bell was fouled on the play and missed the ensuing free throw.
 
Terry's layup later gave the game its sixth tie and SEMO went ahead, 55-53, when Washington, Jr. sunk two free throws with 8:19 on the clock.
 
The see-saw battle continued and the Redhawks went back up by a point. Lowndes got free for a dunk and Stacker made two free throws to give SEMO a 63-62 edge with 2:44 left to play.
 
As a team, SEMO shot 18-of-27 at the free throw line. Washington, Jr. (3-of-4), Terry (3-of-4), Ward (5-of-6) and Stacker (4-of-4) combined for 15 of the makes.
 
Martin, Terry and Cole, Jr. each added nine points apiece, while Lowndes chipped in eight.
 
Defensively, the Redhawks finished with 14 steals. SEMO also held the league's top scoring team to just 65 points. TSU entered the game averaging 80.2.
 
Ogundele led the Tigers with a game-high 17 points off the bench.
 
The Redhawks stay in Tennessee to visit UT Martin Saturday.