Semoball

Southeast Missouri State men's basketball can't overcome halftime deficit in loss to Bradley

Another slow start on offense doomed the Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team to a loss.

The Redhawks again scored fewer than 25 points and couldn't overcome a halftime deficit, falling to Bradley 68-57 on Saturday in Peoria, Illinois.

Sage Tolbert led the way with 13 points and eight rebounds, and Preseason All-Ohio Valley Conference selection Ledarrius Brewer added 11 points, eight boards and three assists.

SEMO (0-2) struggled to slow down Dwayne Lautier-Ogunleye as the Bradley senior guard finished with a game-high 22 points and was 13 of 15 from the free-throw line.

Elijah Childs added eight points and 11 rebounds for Bradley (2-0), and Darrell Brown had 15 points and six assists.

The Redhawks scored first with a 3-pointer from Brewer giving them the lead less than 30 seconds into the game. They hung tough early and led 19-18 with five minutes left in the opening half.

Bradley ended the half on a 13-4 run, though, to take the lead for good and were up 31-23 at halftime.

The Braves stretched that lead to 19 with 3 minutes, 30 seconds left in the game before a late surge by SEMO. It was too little, too late.

In an opening-game loss to Preseason Atlantic 10 favorite Saint Louis on Tuesday, SEMO scored 24 points in the first half and was down double digits at halftime.

Bradley was picked to finish fourth in the Missouri Valley Conference preseason poll and presented another tough test for a Redhawks team with two returning starters.

SEMO now gets to play in the friendly confines of the Show Me Center for the first time, hosting Division II Quincy at 6 p.m. Monday in the regular-season home opener.

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