The 2012 Ohio Valley Conference tournament got underway on Wednesday night, as No. 5 seed Southeast Missouri faced off against No. 8 seed Eastern Kentucky and No. 6 seed Austin Peay met No. 7 seed Jacksonville State.
Related: Ohio Valley Tournament 2012: Schedule And Bracket Finalized
In the first game of the night, Southeast Missouri defeated Eastern Kentucky 75-65. Eastern Kentucky rallied late and closed an 11-point deficit to six with about two minutes remaining, but that was as close as the Colonels would get, and SEMO had a relatively stress-free final minute as it closed out the game. Marland Smith scored 20 points to lead the Redhawks.
Southeast Missouri will play No. 4 seed Tennessee Tech at 6:00 p.m. CT on Thursday.
Jacksonville State prevailed 75-70 over Austin Peay in the second game, overcoming a late three-point deficit in the process. The teams were tied at 70 when Jacksonville State's Brian Williams hit a three-pointer with 33 seconds left. He would add a fast break layup later to seal the win for JSU. Williams led the team with 18 points.
Southeast Missouri will play No. 3 seed Morehead State at 8:00 p.m. CT on Thursday.
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