CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Freshman Adam Leonard equaled his career high with 22 points to propel the Eastern Kentucky University men's basketball team to a 66-61 win over host Southeast Missouri Saturday night at the Show Me Center. The Colonels (15-9, 10-6 OVC) have now won five consecutive games and earned a season split with the Redhawks (10-16, 8-9).
Leonard, a native of Lee's Summitt, Mo., returned to his home state and put on a show for his relatives by connecting on 6-of-10 (60 percent) three-point attempts. Meanwhile, the rest of the squad was a combined 0-for-12 from behind the arc. Senior Michael Brock helped the EKU cause with the team's first double-double of the season – 13 points and 10 rebounds.
For Southeast Missouri, Brandon Foust netted 18 points on 50 percent shooting from the field. David Johnson and Johnny Hill combined for 21 points off the Redhawk bench.
SEMO scored seven of the final nine points of the first half to take a 32-27 lead into intermission. Eastern built a 16-5 lead early thanks to a pair of Leonard three-pointers, but the Redhawks rallied by shooting 6-for-12 (50 percent) from behind the arc in the first 20 minutes.
Three minutes into the second stanza, Leonard hit his fifth three-pointer to put the Colonels back on top, 36-35. The two teams fought back and forth the rest of the game with four ties and six more lead changes. Southeast Missouri built its largest lead of the half when a Dionte Perry jumper made the score, 51-46, with 7:53 left.
Eastern Kentucky then capitalized at the free throw line to win the game. Southeast Missouri was whistled for its 10th foul with 6:02 remaining, putting EKU in the double-bonus. The last six minutes of the contest, the Colonels went 11-for-13 (84.6 percent) at the free throw line while connecting on their final nine attempts.
Two free throws by Brock put EKU ahead for good with 3:34 showing on the clock, 58-56. On Eastern's next possession, a Brock lay-up stretched the Colonel advantage to four. Southeast Missouri would cut the deficit to one point, 62-61, only to see Leonard knock down two free throws with 19 seconds left to push the lead back to three, 64-61. Johnson tried to even the score with a long-range three-point attempt on the Redhawks' final trip down the court, but missed long. Sophomore Mike Rose then sealed the victory with two more free throws.
The Colonel defense held Southeast Missouri to just one three-pointer in the second half (1-of-10) while the Redhawks also missed eight free throws (8-of-16).
This was the fourth straight meeting in the Show Me Center that was decided by six points or less. With the win, Eastern Kentucky clinches a spot in the season-ending OVC Tournament.
The Colonels return home this Tuesday, Feb. 13, and will celebrate Senior Night in McBrayer Arena against Samford. Game time is slated for 7 p.m.
