Rob Martin’s 18-point effort wasn’t enough as No. 1 Southeast Missouri (21-12) fell to No. 2 SIU Edwardsville (22-11) in a 69-48 loss during the Ohio Valley Conference Championship at the Ford Center on Saturday night.
The Redhawks, making their second OVC Tournament final appearance in three years under Head Coach Brad Korn, came out firing. Martin led the early charge, scoring 10 of SEMO’s first 12 points in the opening four minutes. His hot start gave the Redhawks a 12-5 lead, but momentum quickly shifted.
SIUE responded with an 18-4 run as SEMO hit a cold stretch, missing 10 of 11 shots and going over four minutes without a field goal. A three-pointer by Brian Taylor put the Cougars ahead 19-16, and they never looked back. SIUE entered halftime leading 35-24.
Despite forcing four turnovers early in the second half and tying the game at 38-38, SEMO couldn’t sustain its push. SIUE countered with a dominant 19-2 run, pulling away for good. Ring Malith’s stepback three and three-point play sealed the Cougars’ win, as they outscored SEMO 31-10 over the final 14 minutes.
Martin finished 6-of-14 from the field, knocking down three three-pointers and making the OVC All-Tournament Team. Brendan Terry added 16 points and six rebounds.
SIUE’s Ray’Sean Taylor, the OVC Player of the Year, led all scorers with 20 points and seven rebounds. The Cougars controlled the paint, outscoring SEMO 40-22 and dominating the boards 50-31.
Despite the loss, SEMO’s season was highlighted by an outright OVC regular-season title, clinched against SIUE on Feb. 27. The Redhawks had won five of their last six OVC Tournament games before falling short in the championship.
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