On senior night at the Show Me Center, SEMO erased a slow start with a dominant second half, beating Tennessee Tech 89-73 as seniors shone ahead of the OVC Tournament.
This story was originally published by The Southeast Arrow —Southeast Missouri State University's Campus News Organization.
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Senior night capped off the OVC regular season for the Redhawks, marked by special endings for senior forward Brendan Terry and senior guard Troy Cole Jr. The two ended the evening with 21 and 14, respectively. SEMO bested Tennessee Tech 89-73.
Terry made two 3-pointers; his final points at the SMC happened to be a triple, a rarity for the forward.
Cole Jr. ended the night with season highs in three categories: 14 points, eight rebounds, and three assists. Senior guard Braxton Stacker ended his senior night with 16 points.
Outside of the seniors’ final performances, junior guard Luke Almodovar recorded 21 points and six rebounds.
The Redhawks went into the first half sluggish, attempting to catch up to the Golden Eagles from the start. The game started to look similar to the original loss to TTU earlier this season.
Just out of the final media timeout in the first, the Redhawks had a newfound energy to carry them through.
Though the Redhawks went into the half down two, 36-34, the momentum had already shifted considerably in their favor.
“I think what changed is the intensity picked up in the second half on both sides. The ball was moving,” Head Coach Brad Korn said. “We scored 55 in the second half. I think that the attention to detail is the true essence of what our team is supposed to be and look like in the second half.”
The Redhawks controlled the second half with defensive energy and pressure, able to convert nine points off turnovers and collect 12 fast break points.
The Redhawks committed a season-low four turnovers and outrebounded TTU 29-25, also contributing to the success.
SEMO looks towards the OVC Championship Tournament, where they are seeded third and will play at 8:30 p.m. Thursday, March 5, in Evansville against the winner of Lindenwood vs. Little Rock.