Eastern Kentucky Basketball

* I typed Eastern Kentucky into Getty Images and this was one of the pictures that came up...there was no EKU Hoops to be found.

SE Missouri State (3-21) at Eastern Kentucky (14-10)

The Line: Eastern Kentucky -18

Thursday, Feb. 12, 2009, 9 EST

Can anyone believe we're just midway through our second week of being a live site at The College Basketball Place? I find it tough to believe myself. After I did that huge building process over at The College Football Place, it's nice that people like our stuff enough to not even think twice and read our college hoops articles and write-ups.

I think when it comes to a game like this Ohio Valley gem, it will probably take more than the hardcore hoops fan to even peek in and read it. This is a miserable matchup featuring the team I often point to as the worst team in D-I college hoops, SE Missouri State.

I'll be honest, I'm not going to spend a lot of time on this thing crunching numbers, because 3-21—with the three coming against lower division schools I never heard of, including Culver-Stockton and Longwood—speaks volumes about the state of Southeast Missouri State college basketball this year.

Everyone has a person they speak sports with about on just about a daily basis; mine is my friend Jim Powell. Not only does not a day go by when we don't reference the Temptations or Motown, but usually not a day goes by we don't make a wise crack as to how awful SE Mizzou is.

For those who even went out of their way in their busy day to read this thing—and I know there aren't many of you—Austin Peay is the team I think can really shake things up if they can get to the NCAA Tournament. If not, they may make the NIT and go pretty far there as well.

While I mention Austin Peay in a positive light regularly, I laugh every time I say SE Missouri State. The Redhawks stink, and I wouldn't go near them, especially on the road against a team with a winning record.

Mitch's Pick: Eastern Kentucky -18

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Alan Voskuil scored 28 points leading the Texas Tech Red Raiders to their fourth straight win, in a 98-84 victory over the Eastern Kentucky Colonels in the Legends Classic.

The Red Raiders (4-0) were 36 for 58 from the field (62 percent), 14 for 22 (63.6 percent) on three-pointers and made 12 of 16 free throws (75 percent). The win extends their longest win streak under Pat Knight to four.

Voskuil shot 11 of 14 from the field, and was eight for 11 in three-point shooting. John Roberson was 4-for-6 from three-point territory scoring 16 points. Trevor Cook scored 15 and Mike Singletary came off the bench and scored 15 points.

Cook led the Red Raiders in rebounding with eight. Tyree Graham and Roberson led the team in assists with six apiece.

The Colonels (1-2) was 30 for 63 from the field (47.6 percent), 16 for 36 in three-pointers (44 percent) and eight for eleven from the free throw line (72.7 percent).

The Colonels will host Thiel College on Tuesday.

Mike Rose led the Colonels in scoring with 25 points, shooting nine for fifteen from the field, four for nine in three pointers and made all three free throws. Papa Oppong had 17 points and Josh Taylor had 10.

Oppong led the Colonels in rebounds with seven and Deyvon Ellis led in assists with four.

With the game tied at two, the Red Raiders went on a 20-6 scoring run over the next ten minutes giving the Red Raiders a 22-8 lead. Roberson made three, three-pointers in just over four minute time span.

The Colonels would not get closer than 12 points the rest of the first half. The Red Raiders got a lead as big as 24 points and led 48-26 at halftime.

In the second half, the Red Raiders kept the Colonels down by double digits, not allowing them to get closer than 13 points and having a lead as large as 26 with 19:17 left in the first half.

The Colonels did cut the Red Raiders lead to 13, outscoring Tech 44-31 over the next 13 minutes. However, Tech would stop the Colonels rally outscoring them 13-6 to give Tech a 96-76 lead with 1:58 left in the game—a lead they would not reliquish.

Tech hosts Southeastern Louisiana (1-2) Tuesday. Then the Red Raiders will resume the Legends Classic in Newark, New Jersey. Tech will play the No. 6 Pittsburgh Panthers (4-0) Friday. Depending on the outcome, the Red Raiders will play either Mississippi State (4-0) or Washington State (3-0) on Saturday.