Ottumwa, IA -- Heading into the postseason, Southeastern had won only three road games all year. Now, less than a week later, the BlackHawks are just one win away from the Region 11 postseason championship after two straight victories away from home.
On Monday night, Southeastern used a 16-1 second-half run to erase a 10-point deficit and down Indian Hills, 53-49, at the Hellyer Center in Ottumwa in the first game of the best-of-three regional title series.
SCC had won at Iowa Western last Wednesday to gain a spot in the series against Indian Hills, the regular season conference champ.
Both teams struggled to score all night long, but the Warriors looked like they had finally gotten untracked when they took a 43-33 lead on a three-pointer by Dijon Farr with around eight minutes to play.
Reserve Mansa Habeeb started SCC's game-deciding rally with a layup and Jeron Lee ended it with a three-pointer for a 49-44 BlackHawk lead with just over two minutes remaining.
Indian Hills went nearly seven minutes without a field goal. Larry Stone finally broke the drought with a three to bring the Warriors to within 49-47. After SCC's Abby Ruple made one of two free throws, Stone had a chance to tie the game, but his three-pointer was off the mark.
Southeastern made three of four foul shots to nail down the win and take a big first step toward what they hope will be their second postseason series win in as many years.
SCC's Norvell Arnold, the second-leading scorer in the conference, was held to only seven points. But Arnold had a key tip-in, one of his two field goals, to tie the game at 44 after his two free throws had made it 44-42, part of SCC's big run in the final minutes.
The Warriors were held to their second-lowest scoring total of the season and made only 31% of their field goal attempts. Southeastern wasn't much better at 35%.
The first half saw very little offense, especially early. The score was 14-11 with a little under five minutes to go in the half. Stone hit a three to give IHCC a six-point lead, but SCC quickly tied it at 17 on three straight points by Arnold and a three-pointer by Lee.
That was the first of four straight 3's as the shots finally started to fall. Paris Gulley's trey gave SCC a 23-20 advantage. Farr brought IHCC to within a point at halftime with a spinning baseline drive at the end of the half.
An 11-2 Indian Hills run to start the second half featured back-to-back goals by Stone, who led the Warriors with 14 points, a three by Farr and a putback by Aaron Austin.
Two free throws by Lee allowed Southeastern to cut the lead to six and that's when the Warriors' free throw shooting woes started. On five consecutive trips to the line, they made one and missed one, then Dwan McMillan missed both shots with four minutes to play.
Arnold had averaged 28 points in the two regular season meetings with IHCC, but was held in check by the Warrior defense. Lee was the only double-figure scorer for the BlackHawks with 14.
McMillan had 12 and Farr 10 to go along with Stone's 14 for Indian Hills.
The Warriors are now faced with a must-win situation for game two, in West Burlington on Wednesday. They can take a little comfort in knowing that they already have a victory there this year, winning 74-70 in the final regular season game on Feb. 20. IHCC has won on two of their last three trips to Loren Walker Arena, but SCC has now won three straight at the Hellyer Center.
Indian Hills has to win to send the series to a third game, which would be played on Friday night on the Warriors' home court.
SOUTHEASTERN 53, INDIAN HILLS 49
SOUTHEASTERN A.D. Simmons 0 0-0 0, Steven Baker 4 0-0 9, Norvell Arnold 2 3-4 7, Mason Leggett 0 0-0 0, Paris Gulley 2 2-2 8, Jeron Lee 4 3-4 14, Rinaldo Mafra 0 0-0 0, Abby Ruple 2 3-4 7, Mansa Habeeb 4 0-0 8 Team 18 11-17 53
INDIAN HILLS Dwan McMillan 4 3-8 12, Aaron Austin 2 0-0 5, Brandon Garrett 0 0-0 0, Bruno Ferreira 0 0-0 0, Derrick Hill 0 0-0 0, Dijon Farr 3 2-2 10, Larry Stone 4 4-6 14, Brian Wilson 1 0-0 2, E.J. Hicks 2 1-2 6, Chad Dillard 0 0-0 0 Team 16 10-18 49
Halftime score: Southeastern 23, Indian Hills 22; Three-point field goals: SCC 6 (Lee 3, Gulley 2, Baker 1), IHCC 7 (Farr 2, Stone 2, McMillan 1, Austin 1, Hicks 1)
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