ST. MARY-OF-THE-WOODS, Ind. – The IU Southeast men's basketball team fell to SMWC 69-58 on Saturday.
 
SMWC led 12-4 five minutes into the game. SMWC held IU Southeast to five points in the first ten minutes as the Pomeroys led 15-5. Trailing 16-5, a quick 5-0 Grenadier run brought IU Southeast within six at 16-10.
 
SMWC answered with a 10-0 run to extend their lead to 26-10. The Pomeroys led by 18 at 30-12 with 4:50 left in the half. SMWC took a 39-20 lead into halftime.
 
The Pomeroys took a 23-point lead at 46-23 early in the second half. Back-to-back threes by IU Southeast made it 46-29.
 
Trailing 50-33, IU Southeast used a 5-0 run to cut their deficit to 12 at 50-38. A Xavier Price jumper cut the SMWC lead to 11 at 51-40 with 7:46 left.
 
SMWC used a dunk to take a 53-40 lead, but a three by Caleb Brown made it 53-43 with 5:22 remaining. SMWC took a 54-43 lead on a free throw, but an Eli Meyer jumper cut the Grenadier deficit to single digits at 54-45 with 3:40 remaining.
 
Both teams traded a pair of free throws as SMWC led 56-47 with 2:24 left. Two more Grenadier free throws made it 56-49 with 1:48 remaining, but SMWC answered with a layup to take a 58-49 advantage with 1:34 left.
 
An IU Southeast free throw made it 58-50, but SMWC buried a pair of free throws on the other end to take a 60-50 edge with 1:12 remaining. Nathaniel Hoffman hit a three with just over a minute remaining to bring IU Southeast within seven at 60-53.
 
SMWC hit one of two free throws to take a 61-53 lead, but a Trent Hinkle layup made it a six-point game at 61-55 with 52 seconds left. Two more free throws gave SMWC a 63-55 edge, but a Xavier Price layup once again made it a six-point game at 63-57.
 
SMWC went 6-6 on free throws in the final 30 seconds and would go on to win 69-58.
 
"Proud of my team," IU Southeast head coach Wiley Brown said. "They fought in the 2^nd half. They have to understand there's two 20-minute halves in basketball. We couldn't overcome our first half mistakes. If we can put two halves together, we are going to be dangerous, but that's a big IF. We should know by now that we can't beat good teams getting down by 20 points. We played good defense in the 2^nd half and started capitalizing on the other team's mistakes. We have to be locked in on defense and rebounding. We have to play physical. Back to the lab!"
 
Lane Lauderbaugh recorded a double-double for IU Southeast with 16 points and 14 rebounds. Nathaniel Hoffman had 10 points and six rebounds off the bench. Trent Hinkle had eight points and three assists.

IU Southeast was out-rebounded 55-37. SMWC went 31-44 from the free throw line while IU Southeast went 13-21.
 
IU Southeast (4-7, 1-1 RSC) returns to action on Tuesday for a conference game at Oakland City.