Southeast Missouri (12-15, 6-8 OVC) at Eastern Illinois (15-12, 8-6 OVC)

Date: Sunday, Feb. 22, 2015
Tip-Off: 5:30 p.m., CT
Location: Charleston, Ill.
Arena: Lantz Arena (5,300)
Series History: Southeast leads, 27-25
Coaches: Dickey Nutt (Southeast Missouri), Jay Spoonhour (EIU)

Media Coverage
Radio: ESPN 92.9 FM and Real Rock 99.3 FM (Erik Sean)
TV: American Sports Network (Dave Armstrong, Rich Zvosec); Airs locally on My 49 WDKA | Additional TV Clearances
Video: OVC Digital Network
Live Stats: EIUPanthers.com
Twitter Updates: @SEMOmbb
Game Notes: Southeast Missouri

Redhawks Hit the Road
Southeast Missouri (12-15, 6-8) plays its final road game of the regular-season when it heads to Eastern Illinois (15-12, 8-6) Sunday. Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m., CT, at Lantz Arena.

Follow the Redhawks
Sunday's game will be televised on the American Sports Network and will air locally at My 49 WDKA. Dave Armstrong and Rich Zvosec are the commentators. The contest will also be broadcast on the radio at ESPN 92.9 FM and Real Rock 99.3 FM. Erik Sean will provide play-by-play. Live stats can be accessed online at EIUPanthers.com.

Win and You're In
Six teams have currently punched their tickets to the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament. OVC regular-season champion Murray State will go to Nashville as the top seed. Eastern Kentucky, Belmont, UT Martin, Eastern Illinois and SIU Edwardsville are also in. If Southeast beats EIU Sunday, it will clinch a spot in the eight-team tournament. The Redhawks have made the league's postseason tournament each of the last four years.

Series History
The Redhawks hold a 27-25 advantage in their overall series against Eastern Illinois. Southeast has won five of its last six meetings with the Panthers. The Redhawks only loss in that stretch was at home (77-74) on Jan. 25, 2014. Head Coach Dickey Nutt is 10-7 all-time against EIU. Nutt's 10 wins are the second-most versus any Ohio Valley Conference team he has coached against. Southeast beat EIU, 68-64, in Cape Girardeau on Feb. 7.

Another Close One
Southeast lost its second-straight game by three or less points when it came up short in a 75-72 setback at SIU Edwardsville (Feb. 19). The Redhawks also fell to Ohio Valley Conference regular-season champion Murray State (Feb. 14), 94-92, in overtime five days earlier. Southeast is 1-2 in games decided by three or less points this season.

Two-Game Skid
The Redhawks head to Charleston looking to end a two-game losing streak. Southeast is on a losing streak for the fifth time this season. Only once have the Redhawks dropped more than two in a row (3 games from Dec. 13-22).

Redhawks Come Up Short
Jarekious Bradley and Isiah Jones each scored a game-high 21 points, but SIU Edwardsville squeaked past Southeast, 75-72, Thursday night at the Vadalabene Center. The Redhawks led, 34-32, at halftime, but couldn't sustain their momentum in the game's final 20 minutes. SIUE shot over 60 percent (60.7) in the second half and used an 11-2 run to pull away.

Scoring Burst
Southeast fell behind, 30-17, in the first half against SIU Edwardsville (Feb. 19) when it made a ferocious comeback. Isiah Jones scored 13 points to single-handedly get the Redhawks back in it. Jones' burst started with two free throws. He followed that up with a three-pointer and a layup before adding back-to-back treys to bring the game to a 30-30 deadlock with 1:46 left to play. Jones' effort helped Southeast grab a 34-32 lead at the intermission. He matched a season-high 21 points and five three-pointers in that game.

Big Game Bradley
Jarekious Bradley came off the bench to turn in his second double-double of the season with 21 points and 12 rebounds at SIU Edwardsville (Feb. 19). Bradley shot 8-of-14 from the field and 4-of-6 at the free throw line in 32 minutes. His third-straight double-digit scoring performance off the bench came after he was in a boot due to a sprained ankle earlier in the week. Bradley has scored over 20 points in two of his last three contests.

Johnson Eyes Top-10
Southeast's all-time career leader in blocked shots, Nino Johnson is three swats away from cracking the Ohio Valley Conference's Top-10 career list. Johnson currently has 177 blocks and needs three to tie Murray State's Cuthbert Victor (180 blocks, 2000-04).

Chasing 1,000
Jarekious Bradley and Nino Johnson are both chasing 1,000 career points. Bradley (960) needs 40 more to hit that mark, while Johnson (978) is 22 points away. So far, Dickey Nutt has had two 1,000-point scorers as Southeast's head coach. Tyler Stone (2011-14) ranks fifth all-time in school history with 1,546 points and Marland Smith (2009-13) ranks seventh with 1,423.

Halftime Leads
Southeast took a halftime lead in its third-straight game when it pulled ahead, 34-32, at SIU Edwardsville (Feb. 19). The Redhawks are 10-4 in games they lead at the half this season. Southeast has led at intermission in three-straight contests twice this year.

Keep it Up
Senior forward Nino Johnson is playing his best basketball as of late. Johnson recorded a double-double in four of his last six starts and scored double figures in seven-straight contests. He
averaged 14.8 points and 8.6 rebounds over his previous seven starts. Not to mention, Johnson secured the 50th double-digit scoring game of his career at Murray State on Feb. 5.

TV Time
Southeast plays on television for the third time this month when it hooks up with Eastern Illinois Sunday. In all, the Redhawks have played on TV four times this year and are 1-3 in such contests.

About Eastern Illinois
Eastern Illinois has dropped three of its last four games, including a 75-73 overtime loss at home to UT Martin Thursday. EIU boasts the Ohio Valley Conference's top scoring defense, allowing just 61.8 points a game. The Panthers are also second in the conference in three-point field goal percentage defense, as opponents are shooting just 33.3 percent. EIU was without two of its top players the first time it faced Southeast this season. Chris Olivier (12.5 ppg) and Reggie Smith (7.2 ppg) have since returned and played in the Panthers last two games. Olivier and Smith were in the starting lineup against UT Martin. Olivier scored a game-high 25 points and Smith added three. Trae Anderson is EIU's top scorer with 12.9 per game and 15.3 in league games alone.