Western Illinois (3-4) vs. Southeast Missouri (4-3)

Date: Saturday, December 1, 2018
Tip-Off: 6:30 p.m., CT
Location: Cape Girardeau, Mo.
Arena: Show Me Center (7,000)
Series History: SEMO leads, 6-5
Last Meeting: SEMO 74, WIU 71 (Nov. 16, 2016 / Macomb, Ill.)
Head Coaches: Rick Ray (75-122 overall; 38-62 at SEMO; 19-31 OVC). Billy Wright (41-77 overall; 41-77 WIU).

Media Coverage
Radio: ESPN 1220 AM (Glen Johnson, Jess Bolen)
Video: ESPN+ 
Live Stats: GoSoutheast.com
Twitter: @SEMOMBB
Southeast Missouri Notes

Redhawks Host Western Illinois
Southeast Missouri (4-3) closes out a two-game home stand when it hosts Western Illinois (3-4) Saturday. Tip-off is set for 6:30 p.m., CT, at the Show Me Center.

Follow the Redhawks
Fans can listen to Saturday's game live on the radio at ESPN 1220 AM. Glen Johnson will call the action. Video for Saturday's game is available at ESPN+. Live stats can be accessed at GoSoutheast.com. Twitter updates provided @SEMOMBB.

Watch Party Discount
Fans that attend Saturday's Southeast Missouri football watch party at Wings Etc. in Cape Girardeau or Jackson will receive a $5 discount off a basketball game ticket with a Wings Etc. receipt.

Series History
Southeast Missouri holds a slight 6-5 edge in its overall series against Western Illinois. The Redhawks won three of the last four meetings between these teams and goes after their third-straight victory in the series Saturday.

Last Time vs. Western Illinois
The Redhawks came away with a 74-71 win the last time they faced Western Illinois on Nov. 16, 2016 in Macomb. Southeast Missouri trailed, 53-41, with 12:51 remaining before outscoring WIU by 15 points (33-18) the rest of the way. It was the first time SEMO beat the Leathernecks in Macomb, Illinois since 1972.

Undefeated at Home
Southeast Missouri is 2-0 at home this young season. Both of those wins came against non-Division I opponents. SEMO beat Quincy, 102-66, on Nov. 12 and Missouri S&T, 72-69, on Nov. 27. The Redhawks are averaging 87 points per game at home this year.

Winning November
The Redhawks wrapped up their first month of the season with a record of 4-3. Southeast Missouri won four of its last five games. It is the first winning record in November since the Redhawks went 5-2 in their first seven games of 2013-14.

Brewer Sinks Missouri S&T
Ledarrius Brewer turned in a double-double 20 points and career-high 11 rebounds, and made three free throws in the final seven seconds to send Southeast Missouri to a 72-69 victory over Missouri S&T (Nov. 27). Brewer picked up his first double-double of the season and second of his career. He shot 7-of-13 from the field, knocked down three 3-pointers, dished out one assist and had two steals in 34 minutes. Brewer became SEMO's first player to score 20 points in a game this season.

About Western Illinois
Western Illinois carries a 3-4 record to Cape Girardeau Saturday. Southeast Missouri is the fourth Ohio Valley Conference team the Leathernecks face this season. WIU is 1-2 in those contests after recently beating SIU  Edwardsville, 83-58, on Nov. 28. Kobe Webster and Isaac Johnson are among the Summit League's top 15 scorers. Webster ranks seventh with 17.1 points per game and Johnson is 13th with 14.6. 

Eight-Day Break
The Redhawks played their first basketball game in eight days when they edged Missouri S&T, 72-69, Tuesday. Southeast Missouri begins December with two of three games at home. After Saturday's matchup with Western Illinois, SEMO heads to Mississippi Valley State on Dec. 4 and then returns home to host longstanding rival Southern Illinois on Dec. 8.

Defending the Three
Southeast Missouri enters the weekend ranked 15th in the nation in 3-point field goal percentage defense. Opponents are shooting 25.9 percent against the Redhawks from behind the arc. The Redhawks rank second in the Ohio Valley Conference behind Murray State (17.6 percent) in that category.

Where They Rank
Ledarrius Brewer ranks among Ohio Valley Conference leaders in scoring (14th, 13.7 ppg), rebounding (8th, 7.3 ppg), defensive rebounds (t2nd, 6.6 rpg) and minutes played (18th, 29.1 mpg). Sage Tolbert is 16th in the conference in rebounding (5.9 rpg), tied for 12th in field goal percentage (.500) and ninth in offensive rebounds (2.9 rpg). Alex Caldwell ranks tied for 12th in field goal percentage (.500) and sixth in 3-point field goal percentage (.476), and Jonathan Dalton is eighth in assists (3.6 apg) and fifth in assist/turnover ratio (1.9). Skyler Hogan ranks 11th in 3-point field goal percentage (.417) and Mark Laros stands tied for 13th in offensive rebounds (2.0 rpg). 

Same Starting Five
The Redhawks have gone with the same five starters through their first seven games of the 2018-19 season. Guards Jonathan Dalton, Ledarrius Brewer and Skyler Hogan, and forwards Isaiah Gable and Sage Tolbert have started every contest. It is the first time Southeast Missouri went with the same five starters in each of its first seven games of a season under head coach Rick Ray.

On the Way to 100
Ledarrius Brewer is making his way closer to the 100 mark in career free throws and 3-pointers made. Brewer has drained 83 three-pointers and 86 free throws through 38 games and 34 starts as a Redhawk.