Key takeaways from Southeast Missouri’s upset win over Missouri State

The Redhawks trust one another

Southeast Missouri had ten players score and each of those players took multiple shots and nine different Redhawks attempted three-pointers. An ill-advised triple attempt late in Tuesday’s game could have cost them the victory, but on the very next possession, a long-range bomb sealed the win.

On a night when a team scores 99 points, it is obvious that they were highly efficient offensively. SEMO perimeter players repeatedly drove into the teeth of the much taller Missouri State interior defense. That resulted in 34 ‘points in the paint’ and wore down the MSU defense. The Bears were whistled for 25 fouls.

SEMO went eight for 19 from deep, but that sum doesn’t tell the game story. The Redhawks opened by hitting three of their first four long-distance offerings. After a long stretch where they made three of their next twelve attempts, a less confident team would be tempted to hold back.

With the game on the line, SEMO made two of three clutch triples during the decisive final two minutes of the game. Nana Akenten (13 points) hit a big one to give the Redhawks an eight-point lead. Then a poor decision, three attempts at the 1:03 mark opened the door for MSU to inch closer.

Undeterred, by that miss and deflating result, Eric Reed Junior (21 points) put the game away with a long-range triple.

Offensive confidence was a key to this game and will be going forward.