COLUMN: Southeast men don't leave empty-handed against Murray State

The Southeast Missouri State basketball team didn't get a signature win on Saturday night.

The Redhawks didn't beat Murray State and as a result had to watch the Racers celebrate their 24th regular-season title on the Show Me Center court.

It was an undoubtedly deflating end to a game it looked for all the world that they could -- and even should -- win.

But Southeast didn't leave the floor empty-handed Saturday night.

For the first time all year the Redhawks have an identity. They have a plan and they've figured out the players who are supposed to execute it night in and night out.

That's not as much fun as beating Murray State on your home court, but it's far, far more important if the Redhawks have any hope of beating the Racers, or anyone else for that matter, when it means the most in the Ohio Valley Conference tournament.

"I do think that this team is gelling," Southeast coach Dickey Nutt said. "'Better late than never' is what I said last week when we went to Austin Peay. I thought from that point on we've been playing our best basketball, and I still feel like there's a lot of games left to be played, and we proved tonight that we can play with anybody. It was disappointing that we didn't get that paycheck tonight."

Like most fans and even the coaching staff, I've been trying to figure out this team all season. Who is the leader? Who will take the big shot? Why can't they play with the energy and enthusiasm they all claimed to want to play with? Why are we still asking these questions?

Nutt probably said it best on Thursday when he acknowledged the Redhawks have been both frustrated with themselves and frustrating to watch.

Then suddenly, with 5 minutes, 30 seconds to go in regulation Saturday night, there was clarity.

Sure, the picture had been slowly coming into focus for a few weeks now, but when Jarekious Bradley scored his 11th consecutive point on a 3-pointer well behind the line and with a defender lunging at him it was like all the fog had been lifted.

Southeast had its superstar doing what he was supposed to do. Bradley, who didn't start for a third consecutive game, hadn't scored all game, but when the Racers tied it at 60 with 8:55 to go he took over and eventually handed the Redhawks a 10-point lead before turning an ankle and having to leave the court.

Southeast also had its intimidating inside presence in the form of a suddenly ferocious Nino Johnson, who finished with 25 points and 12 rebounds and for the second game in a row looked like he was the one who wanted the ball more than the other people in the paint.

Southeast had it's gritty point guard in Isiah Jones, who has been the most consistent Redhawks this season in my estimation, but they also had a freshman spark plug in Marcus Wallace and the scary star-in-waiting who could breakout at any moment in Antonius Cleveland.

And, yes, they had the energy and intangible guys in JT Jones, Aaron Adeoye and Jamaal Calvin.

These were the roles these guys had been casted for all along, but for whatever reason they never really played until recently.

"I think there's no question that we're playing at the peak," Nutt said. "We feel like we still have some room to go because we have a lot of catching up to do, but I think their roles are absolutely in stone. I think that our bench is very good right now -- Jarekious Bradley coming off the bench. He's accepted that very unselfishly. I love that about him. Marcus Wallace comes in and plays starter minutes, JT Jones and does his thing. Aaron is the one who's probably not playing, and I probably need to get him in there a little bit more, but it's hard to take Nino out of the game right now because he's playing so well and his condition is so good."

There is no question that the Murray State Racers are the standard in the OVC, and their ability to win after point guard Cameron Payne, the conference's best player and of the best in the country, fouled out was impressive.

As Murray State coach Steve Prohm openly admitted after the game, the Racers also got lucky that a foul call at the end of regulation gave them a chance to tie the game, but TJ Sapp deserves plenty of credit for making all three free throws to send the game to OT.

Then Bradley's shot at the end of overtime missed and left Southeast to lament missed chances (and free throws).

I understand the unpleasantness of that for coaches, players and fans alike, but it will be a far bigger opportunity let go by the wayside if the Redhawks ever again forget the identity that took them so long to earn and the work it took to even give themselves those chances.