A game of runs and lockdown defense were the two key components that made the regional-rivalry between the Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team and SIU-Carbondale come down to a catch and shoot situation for senior guard/forward Jarekious Bradley.

The game winning shot consisted of a great pass from junior guard Isaiah Jones to Bradley with 0.8 seconds remaining in the game to allow Southeast to win 55-54 and remain undefeated at the Show Me Center this season.

With over 3,000 fans in attendance and the first 1,000 Southeast students receiving a complimentary T-shirt, there was a lot of enthusiasm, support and energy in the Show Me Center.

The first half consisted of the Redhawks fighting to close the scoring gap within five minutes of tip-off with the Salukis gaining the lead 10-7 following a 3-pointer by Saluki guard Anthony Beane.

But even while Southeast could never obtain the lead back from SIU-Carbondale, at the end of the first half, the Redhawks were able to decrease the lead to four by increasing their defensive pressure and going on a 11-2 run which consisted of two 3-pointers by Bradley and another one from junior guard Isiah Jones.

The second half consisted of a complete battle between the Redhawks and Salukis with there never being a lead more than five points.

The overall change of offense flow due to the Redhawks switching to a matchup zone became an issue for the Salukis when they saw a decrease in their 3-point percentage from 41.7 percent to 16.7 percent.

With a little more than three minutes left on the clock in the second half, the game was tied 50 all until Beane was able to hit two key buckets to provide a three point cushion for the Salukis with under a minute left in the game.

Even while free throws have been an major issue for the Redhawks throughout the season, sophomore guard Jamaal Calvin was fouled with five seconds on the game clock and converted on both of his free-throw attempts to make it 54-53.

A full-court press by the Redhawks led to a turnover by sophomore forward Sean O'Brien with one second left which was forced by senior forward Nino Johnson. This defensive possession led to the Redhawks using a timeout to draw up a play to possibly win the game with 0.8 seconds left.

The final possession consisted of Jones making a pressured pass over Salukis' seven-foot center Derek Leek to Bradley for a fade away contested jumper over junior guard Jalen Pendleton as time expired.

Coach Dickey Nutt had great things to say about the overall play of the Redhawks in the second half, especially their defense.

"I thought we kept our composure, I thought in the second half we basically controlled the game," Nutt said. "I thought the matchup zone kind of gave them a few problems."

Nutt also commented on the play of Jones who finished the game with 10 points on 3-5 shooting from 3-point range, five rebounds and four assists.

Bradley, who ended the game with a team-high 17 points and six assists, commented on the last possession with talking about the confidence and motivational statements Jones provided in the huddle.

"I just wanted to go and shoot it, and shoot it with confidence," Bradley said. "And when I released it, it felt good and it went in."

Bradley added that once he knew that there was only 0.8 seconds left on the clock, he knew it was enough time to get the shot off. Bradley concluded that the confidence he had in himself and the shot made the situation less pressure filled.

Southeast received key contributions from Johnson on both sides of the court with seven points, 10 rebounds and four blocks. In addition to Johnson, senior forward Aaron Adeoye scored 14 points and recorded four rebounds.

With this win, the Redhawks 5-4 overall on the season and will host in-state rival Missouri State (4-3) this Saturday for a 6 p.m. tip off.