EVANSVILLE, Ind. – SIUE men's basketball captured its first Ohio Valley Conference Tournament Championship, defeating top-seed Southeast Missouri 69-48 at the Ford Center Saturday. The win secures the Cougars' first title and the first-ever trip to the Division basketball championship.

SIUE (22-11) will learn its tournament fate on Sunday, March 16, when the NCAA Brackets are revealed at 5 p.m. CT.

The Cougars held the league's highest scoring team to its lowest point total of the season.

The Cougars led by 11 (35-24) at half and withstood a furious run from the Redhawks at the start of the second half. SEMO tied the score at 38 but never overtook the Cougars. The Cougars put the Redhawks away with a 19-2 run.

Ray'Sean Taylor led all scorers with 20 points and in the process became SIUE's all-time leading scorer. Taylor now has 1,952 points in his career. Taylor earned Most Valuable Player honors after scoring 24 points in the semifinal. Taylor is a Collinsville High graduate.

Ring Malith (12 points) and Myles Thompson (9 points) joined Taylor on the All-Tournament team.

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