Southeast Missouri (7-6) at UMKC (4-7)

Dates: Saturday, Dec. 22, 2012
Tip-Off: 12:05 p.m., CT
Location: Kansas City, Mo.
Site: Swinney Rec Center (1,504)
Series: Southeast leads, 6-2
Coaches: Dickey Nutt (228-254 overall, 39-67 at Southeast, 18-34 OVC). Matt Brown (56-105 overall, 56-105 at UMKC).

Southeast Missouri Game Notes


Media Coverage
Redhawks Radio Network: K103 FM (KEZS), flagship; 1440 AM (KSIM); 903 AM (KWOC); 1470 AM (KMAL). Erik Sean, Play-by-Play.
Television: KSMO-TV 
Video: UMKCKangaroos.com                                         
Live Stats: UMKCKangaroos.com
Facebook: GoSoutheast
Twitter: @GoSoutheast

Quick Tips

Seventh Win
Southeast improved to 7-6 with its commanding 94-71 win over New Orleans (Dec. 19). The Redhawks seven wins are the most in non-conference play since 2003-04. That year also marked the last time Southeast had a winning record (7-4) against non-league foes. A win against UMKC Saturday will secure the Redhawks their first non-conference winning record with Dickey Nutt as head coach.

State Rivals
UMKC is the second in-state rival Southeast faces this season. The Redhawks are 6-2 all-time against the Kangaroos. UMKC defeated Southeast each of the last two seasons, winning 74-69 in Cape Girardeau on Dec. 10, 2011 and 70-62 in Kansas City on Nov. 20, 2010. The Redhawks are 63-106 all-time against NCAA Division I schools in Missouri (0-8 vs. Missouri; 6-2 vs. UMKC; 53-88 vs. Missouri State; 4-8 vs. Saint Louis).

Happy Holidays
Southeast won on the road right before the Christmas holiday two years in a row. The Redhawks beat Sacramento State, 77-76, on Dec. 22, 2011, and Tennessee Tech, 77-75, on Dec. 21, 2010. Southeast is currently 2-2 this month.

How Can I Assist You?
Guards Lucas Nutt and Marland Smith are closing in on 300 and 200 career assists, respectively. Nutt, who recently had a season-high 10 assists against New Orleans (Dec. 19), stands with 299 in his career. Meanwhile, Smith has 199 in his four-year term at Southeast. Nutt leads the team and ranks fifth in the Ohio Valley Conference with 58 assists, while Smith follows with 25 through 13 games this season.

Stone Misses First Start
Tyler Stone missed his first start of the season with a bruised right shoulder on Dec. 19 (vs. New Orleans). Despite being held out of the starting lineup, Stone scored 12 points in 30 minutes. He made 36-straight starts prior to that game. In fact, the last time Stone did not start for the Redhawks was at Arkansas State on Nov. 29, 2011.

Perimeter Shines
Southeast started four guards for the first time this season vs. New Orleans (Dec. 19). The Redhawks perimeter players did not disappoint against the Privateers, combining for 66 points and only one turnover. Corey Wilford dropped in a game-high 18 points, Nick Niemczyk followed with 13 off the bench, Lucas Nutt added eight and A.J. Jones, Marland Smith and Jared White each chipped in nine to cap a balanced effort by the guards. Southeast last started four guards in a game vs. Eastern Kentucky on Feb. 11, 2010 (Sam Pearson, Anthony Allison, Marland Smith, Johnny Hill).

Gaining Momemtum
A win against UMKC Saturday will give Southeast back-to-back-wins for the third time this season. Another victory will also match the most wins in December under head coach Dickey Nutt. The Redhawks won three December games in each of the last two seasons. Southeast has never entered Ohio Valley Conference play on a two-game winning streak with Nutt as its coach.

13-Game Club
The Redhawks are one of five NCAA Division I schools with a winning record through their first 13 games this season. Southeast (7-6), Gardner-Webb (7-6), Robert Morris (8-5), South Dakota State (9-4) and Arkansas-Little Rock (8-5) form that group. A total of 15 NCAA Division I programs have   played 13 or more games this year (as of Dec. 21).

Johnson Looks to Crack Top-10 Single-Season Blocks List
Nino Johnson needs just two more swats to join Southeast's all-time single-season blocks leaders. Johnson currently has 36 and will move into a three-way tie for 10th when he gets two more blocks. William “Bud” Eley is the all-time single-season blocks leader with 75 in 1998-99. Johnson is the first Southeast player to get 36 or more blocks in a season since his former teammate Leon Powell finished with 42 in 2011-12.