SE Kansas City News

Four wins in four days. That is what #5 Southeast Missouri (19-16) did to claim the 2023 Ohio Valley Conference Championship upending #2 Tennessee Tech (16-17), 89-82, in an overtime slugfest Saturday night at the Ford Center.
 
SEMO, which won just its second OVC Tournament title and first in 23 years, is the first to punch its ticket to this season's 68-team NCAA Tournament.
 
The Redhawks are going dancing after becoming the first #5 seed in OVC Tournament history to win the event and did so by ousting the top two seeds (#1 Morehead State; #2 TTU) to keep their magical season alive.
 
March Madness are the two words that sum up SEMO's unbelievable run that earned the Redhawks the right to hoist the OVC trophy.
 
After guiding the Redhawks to the OVC Tournament semifinals in 2022, third-year Head Coach Brad Korn didn't forget the taste that left. So, this year he made it a point to take his team further. Boy did he ever.  
Chris Harris scored four-straight points to get SEMO a 72-65 lead with 1:11 left to play before TTU quickly erased the deficit.
 
Jayvis Harvey made a 3-pointer and then scored on a jumper in the paint to get the Golden Eagles within two (72-70) with 32 seconds on the clock. A 3-pointer on TTU's next possession after a SEMO turnover put the Golden Eagles ahead by one with 10 seconds.
 
Harris, the OVC Tournament's Most Valuable Player, was fouled behind the 3-point line and calmly made three free throws to put the Redhawks back up, 75-73, with just two ticks left.
 
Dionte Wood made what was initially ruled a game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer, but the shot was later changed to two points after a replay review revealed his foot was on the line.
 
Instead, both teams headed to overtime tied 75-75.
 
During the extra period, TTU managed to get a 78-75 lead on three free throws in the first 1:06 of overtime and led by as many as four with 2:37 to go.  
Israel Barnes countered by scoring five points. Barnes nailed a corner 3-pointer to get back a 82-80 edge for SEMO.
 
Harvey made two free throws to tie the game at 82-82 and that was the last time the Golden Eagles were ahead as the Redhawks closed out the victory on 7-0 run.
 
OVC All-Tournament Team selection Phillip Russell scored the final seven points of the game to seal the win with five of those coming at the free throw line. Russell went over 1,000 points in his SEMO career in that decisive stretch. Russell is the second player to clear that mark this season along with Harris.
 
SEMO started strong out of the gate scoring the first seven points on a pair of layups by Nate Johnson and a 3-pointer by Phillip Russell.
 
The Redhawks took advantage of a two-and-a-half minute scoreless TTU drought to push their lead to 18-11. Josh Earley made a hookshot in the paint and Russell followed that up with his second 3-pointer of the game to put SEMO ahead by seven with 11:20 remaining the first half.
 
TTU quickly answered with a 6-0 surge to get within one. Jaylen Sebree knocked down a 3-pointer and Nolan Causwell got an offensive rebound and scored the game-tying basket on a layup to make it 18-17 with 8:29 left to play.
 
After Causwell's basket, Dylan Branson scored back-to-back buckets to kickstart an 11-2 run as the Redhawks built a double-digit advantage.
 
Harris accounted for the final seven points of the jaunt and made three free throws to extend SEMO's lead to 29-19 with 5:28 to go. The Golden Eagles missed seven of eight field goals while the Redhawks went up by double figures.
 
TTU managed to make it a 35-29 game at the intermission.
 
Harris and Russell finished with 26 and 21 points, respectively, while Barnes followed with 19 and Branson added 10. Russell (10-of-12) and Harris (11-of-13) combined for 21-of-25 free throws. 
 
Barnes, who started in place of Aquan Smart who was out with a foot injury, also had seven rebounds and a block. Nate Johnson contributed nine points and six rebounds, and Branson had eight boards, as well.
 
SEMO shot 60 percent (3-of-5) from the field and made seven free throw in the overtime period.
 
The Redhawks will see where they are placed in the NCAA Tournament when the men's 68-team bracket and field will be announced during the selection show on Sunday, Mar. 12. Time is 5 p.m., CT on CBS. 

Original source can be found here.