Southeast Missouri State University student publication

Southeast closes season with a loss to Belmont

Saturday, March 2, 2019
Senior center Mark Laros puts up a shot in the paint against Belmont on March 2.
Photo by Kate Marshall ~ Photo Editor

On their last game of the 2018-2019 season, the Redhawks fall to the Belmont Bruins 84-66 on March 2.

Belmont, the number 1 ranked team in the Ohio Valley Conference, went on a 10-3 run to start the game. Southeast fought back and tied the score 13-13 with 13 minutes left in the first half. That would be the closest the Redhawks would get the entire game.

Three minutes later with 10 minutes left in the half, Southeast already trailed the Bruins 25-15.

The Redhawks were never able to come out of a double-digit deficit.

“You got to pick your poison with Belmont,” Southeast coach Rick Ray said,” they are so skilled they can cut you in a whole bunch of different ways.”

At half time the Redhawks trailed Belmont 45-48.

Southeast struggled offensively the whole game. The Bruins continued their lead and pushed it to 20 with 15 minutes left in the game, making the score 35-55. Their biggest lead came from 1:28 left in the game when they widened the gap to 23. Belmont claimed a 16 point victory against the Redhawks at by the end of the night.

Senior center Mark Laros was the only Redhawk that reached double-digit scores putting up 12 points for the night. Freshman forward Gabe McGlothan was held to just 9 points and 9 rebounds for the night.

“Coming into the season we had the most inexperienced team in the OVC and probably one of the most inexperienced team in college basketball,” Ray said, “but I think they started to understand and believe and buy into some things we were trying to do, and they became better individually and we became better as a team. It wasn’t that consistent effort that we needed. But you expect that when you have so many you, inexperienced guys.”

Southeast ends their season with an overall record 10-21 and an OVC record of 5-13.

The Redhawks graduate 3 seniors this season, guard Jonathan Dalton, guard Donnie Lewis, and center Mark Laros.

Dalton, throughout his three seasons with the Redhawks, put up a total of 303 assists and 106 assists for the 2018-2019 season, ranking him among SEMO’s top 10.

Lewis, a walk-on for Southeast, spent two seasons with the Redhawks, has played in 53 games and had two career starts.

Laros spent two seasons with the Redhawks and put up a total of 253 points, 156 of those this season.

“I thanked those guys, [Dalton, Lewis, and Laros] and told them how appreciative I was for them sticking with the program and remaining loyal to us,” Ray said.

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