Missouri Baptist vs. Southeast Missouri
Date: Friday, November 10, 2017
Kickoff: 6:30 p.m., CT
Location: Cape Girardeau, Mo.
Arena: Show Me Center (7,000)
Series History: SEMO leads, 17-0
Last Meeting: SEMO 120, Missouri Baptist 99 (Nov. 19, 1990 / Cape Girardeau, Mo.)
Head Coaches: Rick Ray (57-102 overall; 20-42 at SEMO; 11-21 OVC). Matt Brock (36-127 overall; 36-27 at Missouri Baptist).
Media Coverage
Radio: SEMO ESPN 92.9 FM,
Real Rock 99.3 FM (Erik Sean, Jess Bolen)
Video: OVC Digital Network
Live Stats: GoSoutheast.com
Twitter: @SEMOMBB
Southeast Missouri Notes
Redhawks Tipoff Season Friday
Southeast Missouri officially tips off its 2017-18 season when it plays host to Missouri Baptist Friday. Start time is 6:30 p.m., CT, at the Show Me Center.
Follow the Redhawks
Fans can listen to Friday's game on the radio at ESPN 92.9 FM and Real Rock 99.3 FM. Erik Sean and Jess Bolen will call the action. Video can be accessed online at the OVC Digital Network. Live stats are available at GoSoutheast.com. Twitter updates provided @SEMOMBB.
Season-Openers
The Redhawks are 9-17 in season-opening games since moving to the NCAA Division I ranks in 1991-92. Southeast opens a season at home for the first time in 12 years. The Redhawks last tipped off a season at the Show Me Center with a 59-56 win over Truman State on Nov. 18, 2005. Southeast opened its season on the road each of the last 11 years.
Series History
Southeast is a perfect 17-0 all-time against Missouri Baptist. The Redhawks and Spartans first met in Cape Girardeau on Dec. 1, 1976. This year marks the first time these teams face each other since the 1990-91 season. Southeast beat Missouri Baptist, 120-99, in the last meeting on Nov. 19, 1990 at the Show Me Center. The Redhawks scored 90 or more points eight times in the all-time series. Southeast averaged 101.5 points per game against the Spartans over the last six matchups.
Against Non-Division I
Missouri Baptist is an NAIA affiliate and member of the American Midwest Conference. The Spartans are one of two NAIA American Midwest Conference teams on the Redhawks schedule this season. The other is Hannibal-LaGrange (Nov. 28). Southeast has won 25-straight games against non-Division I teams and hasn't lost to a non-Division I program since 2001-02 (62-52, vs. Birmingham Southern on Nov. 16).
Season-Openers Streak
The Redhawks look to end an 11-game losing streak in season-opening games when it takes the court to face Missouri Baptist Friday. Southeast last opened a season with a win when it beat Truman State, 59-56, on Nov. 18, 2005. All of the games during that stretch were on the road.
Strong Exhibition Campaign
Southeast went 2-0 in exhibition play, defeating Missouri S&T, 94-75, on Nov. 1 and Missouri Southern, 85-77, on Nov. 4. Denzel Mahoney scored a game-high 27 points and had seven rebounds to lead the Redhawks against Missouri S&T. Ray Kowalski and Ledarrius Brewer each scored 15 points to lead five players in double figures during Southeast's win over Missouri Southern.
Welcome to Division I Basketball
Eight different players on Southeast's 2017-18 roster have never played in an NCAA Division I basketball game. Ray Kowalski, Khalil Cuffee, Isaiah Gable, Donnie Lewis, Skyler Hogan, Ledarrius Brewer, Justin Carpenter and Mark Laros form that group. Kowalski, Cuffee, Gable, Carpenter and Brewer are freshmen.
Year Three
Rick Ray begins his third season as Southeast's head coach. Ray led the Redhawks to a +10 increase in the win column and Southeast was the 22nd Most Improved Team in NCAA Division I Basketball a year ago. The Redhawks finished at 15-18 overall and second in the Ohio Valley Conference West Division with a 9-7 mark after going 5-24 and placing last in the OVC in 2015-16. Ray received a two-year contract extension that runs through the 2020-21 season.
Roster Talk
Southeast's 2017-18 roster consists of 13 players, including two seniors, four juniors, two sophomores and five freshmen. The Redhawks return only one starter in guard/forward Denzel Mahoney. Daniel Simmons, Milos Vranes, Jonathan Dalton, Dondre Duffus and Donnie Lewis are the rest of the returnees. Simmons and Vranes are Southeast's seniors.
Home Record
Southeast won seven of its last nine games at the Show Me Center. The Redhawks went 10-4 overall and 6-2 in Ohio Valley Conference play on their homecourt last season. It was Southeast's best home record since 2011-12 (10-4). The Redhawks are 13-14 at home under head coach Rick Ray.
Opening Night Starters
Jonathan Dalton, Ray Kowalski, Daniel Simmons, Denzel Mahoney and Mark Laros are projected to be Southeast's opening night starters against Missouri Baptist. Friday marks the first career start for Kowalski, Simmons and Laros.
Duffus Unavailable
Junior guard Dondre Duffus will miss at least the first two weeks of the 2017-18 season. Duffus underwent a medical procedure on Nov. 7. He averaged 10.5 points and five rebounds in Southeast's two exhibition victories.
Mahoney Named Preseason All-OVC
Sophomore Denzel Mahoney earned Preseason All-Ohio Valley Conference honors, the league announced during its media day on Oct. 24. A Second-Team All-OVC selection, All-Newcomer pick and the 2016-17 OVC Freshman of the Year, Mahoney had a mammoth rookie season. He finished second on the team in scoring with 14.9 points per game and was the Redhawks leading scorer in conference play (16.6 ppg) in 33 starts. He led Southeast with 57 three-pointers made, dished out 40 assists, collected 23 steals and gathered four blocks. Mahoney scored double figures in 27 of his starts, including his final 11 of the 2016-17 campaign. He ranked 10th in the OVC in free throw percentage (.815) and 12th in scoring. Mahoney was also named OVC Freshman of the Week a league-high five times.
Active Streaks
Denzel Mahoney enters the 2017-18 campaign with a streak of 33-consecutive starts. Mahoney has also scored double figures in 11-straight contests dating back to last season. Additionally, he scored in every game he has played in his college career.
Massive Improvement
In 2016-17, Southeast showed dramatic improvement from the previous season. The Redhawks ranked among the top-five in the Ohio Valley Conference in several categories, including steals (1st, 7.7), assist/turnover ratio (5th, 1.1) and 3-point field goals made (5th, 8.0). SEMO made its biggest jump from the 2015-16 season to this past season in turnover margin (8th to 1st), 3-point field goal percentage (last to 2nd) and free throw percentage (last to 2nd). Nationally, Southeast went from 331st to 49th in free throw percentage and 336th to 59th in total 3-point field goals made.
Redhawks Picked 10th in OVC Preseason Poll
Southeast was picked 10th in this year's Ohio Valley Conference Preseason Poll. The Redhawks accumulated 82 points in the overall voting by OVC Head Basketball Coaches and Sports Information Directors. Belmont picked up 18 first-place votes as this year's preseason favorite. Jacksonville State, which represented the OVC in the NCAA Tournament, was picked second with 213 points. Murray State (212 pts.), Eastern Kentucky (139 pts.), Tennessee Tech (137 pts.), Eastern Illinois (135 pts.), Tennessee State (125 pts.), UT Martin (114 pts.) and Morehead State (89 pts.) were also ahead of Southeast. Austin Peay (63 pts.) and SIU Edwardsville (40 pts.) rounded out the predicted order of finish.
Season 111
This year marks the 111th season of Southeast Basketball. The Redhawks are 1,242-1,128 all-time in program history. Southeast is in its 27th season at the NCAA Division I level, where it is 312-443 overall and 175-259 in the Ohio Valley Conference.
2017-18 Schedule
Southeast will play a 31-game schedule with 14 matchups at the Show Me Center in 2017-18. The Redhawks non-conference slate includes a trip to Cancun, Mexico for the Cancun Challenge, a trip to 2016-17 NCAA Tournament participant Kansas State and visits to regional-rivals Southern Illinois and Saint Louis. This year's Ohio Valley Conference schedule expands to 18 games. The Redhawks open league play against defending OVC Champion Belmont on Dec. 28.
Long Trips Ahead
Southeast will fly to Louisiana Tech for a Monday night matchup in Ruston on Nov. 13. After that, the Redhawks fly to Evansville to face the Purple Aces on Thursday, Nov. 16. The Redhawks will then be in Cape Girardeau until Sunday, Nov. 19 before flying to Cancun, Mexico for their other two games of the Cancun Challenge. Southeast faces Cal State Northridge on Tuesday, Nov. 21 and either Binghamton/Montana State on Wednesday,
Nov. 22.
Basketball is Here
Eleven of the 12 Ohio Valley Conference schools will open their 2017-18 season Friday. Eastern Illinois tips off its season at Big Ten Conference member Nebraska Saturday. Southeast, Murray State, Jacksonville State and Tennessee Tech each begin their season at home.
