Southeast Missouri (8-7, 0-2 OVC) vs. Belmont (10-6, 2-0 OVC)

Date: Thursday, Jan. 9, 2014
Location: Cape Girardeau, Mo.
Site: Show Me Center (7,000)
Series: Belmont leads, 1-0
Head Coaches: Dickey Nutt (246-271 overall; 57-84 at Southeast; 26-44 OVC). Rick Byrd (673-352 overall; 581-297 at Belmont, 16-2 OVC)


Media Coverage
Radio: ESPN 92.9 FM; Real Rock 99.3 FM. Erik Sean, Play-by-Play
Video: OVC Digital Network
Live Stats: GoSoutheast.com
Twitter Updates: @GoSoutheast
Game Notes: Southeast Missouri

Redhawks Host Belmont
Southeast Missouri (8-7, 0-2) will host defending Ohio Valley Conference champion Belmont (10-6, 2-0) Thursday. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m., CT, at the Show Me Center.

Follow the Action
Thursday's game will be broadcast live on the radio at ESPN 92.9 FM and Real Rock 99.3 FM. Erik Sean and Todd Bonacki will call the action. Video will be available online at the OVC Digital Network. Live stats can be accessed online at GoSoutheast.com.

OVC Home Openers
The Redhawks play host to Belmont in their Ohio Valley Conference home-opener Thursday. Southeast is 11-10 all-time in OVC home-openers with a 2-2 record in such games under head coach Dickey Nutt. The Redhawks have won its first OVC home contest in each of their last two seasons, beating Morehead State, 67-51, on Dec. 28, 2011 and UT Martin, 65-60, on Dec. 29, 2012.

Series History
Belmont and Southeast square off for just the second time Thursday. The Bruins won the first-ever meeting between these teams by a score of 107-72 in Nashville a year ago. Defending Ohio Valley Conference champion Belmont, which owns a 16-2 conference record in its first year and a half in the league, comes to Cape Girardeau for the first time in 2013-14.

Life on the Road
Southeast returns to Cape Girardeau fresh off a three-game road trip. The Redhawks lost, 81-78, at Missouri State (Dec. 29), 82-75, at Murray State (Jan. 2) and, 80-74, at Austin Peay (Jan. 4) during that stretch. Southeast has played 11 of its first 15 games away from home this season and is 5-6 in those contests. Thursday's matchup will be the Redhawks first home game since Dec. 23 (vs. IUPUI).

Let's End This
The Redhawks enter Thursday's game looking to end a season-long three-game losing streak. Southeast began the 2013-14 season at 7-2, but has since lost five of its last six games. The Redhawks are 0-2 to start Ohio Valley Conference play for the first time since 2010-11.

Bradley Leads the OVC in Scoring
For the first time this season, Jarekious Bradley moved to the top of the Ohio Valley Conference in scoring. Bradley, who is averaging 21.3 points per game, ranks 17th in the nation in scoring and 10th in the country in total points (319). He started OVC play with a bang, averaging 26 points in two games for Southeast last week. Bradley shot 57.6 percent (19-of-33) from the field, 62.5 percent (10-of-16) from three-point range and was perfect at the free throw line (4-of-4). He made all but four of the Redhawks three-pointers during their two-game road swing at Murray State (Jan. 2) and Austin Peay (Jan. 4). Bradley began the conference season by scoring 22 points, including 15 in the first 12 minutes of the second half against the Racers. He also made a jumper that gave Southeast its first lead of the game. Two days later, Bradley became the sixth different player in the OVC to score 30 points in a game this season. He shot 11-of-19 from the field, 6-of-10 from downtown and scored 17 first-half points on his way to putting up 30 against Austin Peay (Jan. 4). Bradley averaged 26 points over a two-game span for the second-straight week and has now scored 20 or more points in 12 of his 15 starts.

Nutt Now 10th Among OVC Career Assist Leaders
Lucas Nutt is now 10th all-time in the Ohio Valley Conference in career assists. Nutt, who currently has a team-high 84 assists this season and 503 in his career surpassed Tennessee Tech's Carlton Clarington (470, 1981-85) for the No. 10 spot. Here is the complete list:
Bruce Jones, Eastern Kentucky (1977-81)    699
Van Usher, Tennessee Tech (1989-92)    690
Norman Jackson, Austin Peay (1974-78)    637
Matt Witt, Eastern Kentucky (2002-06)    630
John DeCamillis, Eastern Kentucky (1982-86)    626
Colby Pierce, Austin Peay (1993-97)    593
Anthony Avery, Tennessee Tech (1985-89)    591
Walker Russell, Jacksonville State (2003-06)    590
Don Mann, Murray State (1985-89)        531
Lucas Nutt, Southeast Missouri (2009-present)    503

Working Doubletime
In his first time coming off the bench this season, Tyler Stone recorded a double-double 16 points and 10 rebounds in 30 minutes at Austin Peay (Jan. 4). Stone shot 6-of-12 from the field and a perfect 4-of-4 at the free throw line in that game. It was his team-high sixth double-double this season and fourth in his last five contests.

Langford Gets First Career Start
Two days after scoring a season-high 17 points, including 13 in the second half at Murray State (Jan. 2), Josh Langford made his first career start at Austin Peay. Langford connected on 2-of-3 from the floor, scored four points and grabbed six rebounds in 21 minutes against the Governors. He is expected to start again versus Belmont Thursday.

Tale of Two Halves
While slow starts in the first half had been the difference in some of Southeast's recent losses, the second half doomed the Redhawks in their latest 80-74 defeat at Austin Peay (Jan. 4). Southeast played a strong first half and built a 15-point lead (27-12) with 14:21 left to play and led at the intermission, but fell victim to a 15-0 run in which it went without a basket for almost five minutes (4:55).  That surge led to a 13-point advantage for the Governors, who never turned back. Prior to that matchup, Southeast had fallen behind by eight or more points in the first six minutes of three games and trailed at the half for six in a row. The Redhawks led APSU, 38-33, at the half marking the first time they were ahead going into the locker room since Dec. 1 (vs. Texas State).

Foul Play
Southeast went its first 12 games this season without having a player foul out. That hasn't been the case as of late, as at least one player has exited the game with five fouls in each of the last three contests. Both Josh Langford and Antonius Cleveland fouled out at Missouri State (Dec. 29), while Jarekious Bradley and Langford fouled out at Murray State (Jan. 2). Most recently, Bradley was whistled for five fouls at Austin Peay (Jan. 4). The Redhawks are 0-3 in games where they have a player foul out this season.