Team Members
Front Row (L-R): Dawson Pikey, Bill Giessing, Les Hemmer, Ron Gray, Bob Reiche, Perry Kegley
Second Row (L-R): Paul Blain, Vivan Reed, Denzil Ratliff, Bob Miller, Ken Dyson, Bill Jordan
Third Row (L-R): Assistant Coach Joe Uhls, Floyd Hodge, Ron Hooten, Mike Lorch, Gerald Martin, Don Johnson, Head Coach Charles Parsley
Fourth Row (L-R): Bill Swan (manager), Paul Holifield, George Camp, Joe Luker, Noal Gaulding, Larry Nickell, Mike Gross
1960-61 Men's Basketball Team - NCAA Division II National Finalists
The 1960-61 basketball team won the MIAA championship, the NCAA Southwestern Regional and advanced to the championship game of the NCAA College Division Tournament in Evansville, Ind., finishing second in the nation. Southeast hosted the Southwestern Regional at a packed Houck Field House, winning over Colorado College, 99-68, before beating Southern Illinois in the finals, 87-84. Basketball fever was at its highest peak when nearly 2,000 fans accompanied Southeast to the finals in Evansville. A group of students earned national attention when they dribbled a basketball from Cape Girardeau to Evansville. Southeast beat Chicago University in the quarterfinals and whipped South Dakota in the semi-finals to set up the championship game against Wittenberg, coached by legendary coach Ray Mears. Wittenberg's ball control style prevailed in the national finals, claiming a 42-38 win over Southeast. Despite the loss of the final game, no one was ashamed of the 1961 Indians who compiled a 25-3 record.
