Southeast Missouri (0-1) at Bradley (1-0)

Date: Saturday, November 10, 2018
Tipoff: 1 p.m., CT
Location: Peoria, Ill.
Arena: Carver Arena (11,164)
Series History: BU leads, 8-2
Last Meeting: BU 75, SEMO 67 (Dec. 20, 2017 / Cape Girardeau, Mo.)
Head Coaches: Rick Ray (77-120 overall; 34-60 at SEMO; 19-31 OVC). Brian Wardle (39-60 overall, 39-60 at Bradley).
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Media Coverage
Radio: ESPN 1220 AM (Cody Sandusky)
Video: ESPN3
Live Stats: BUBraves.com
Twitter: @SEMOMBB
Southeast Missouri Notes

Opening Week Continues
Southeast Missouri (0-1) remains on the road to face Missouri Valley Conference member Bradley (1-0) Saturday. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m., CT, at Carver Arena.

Follow the Redhawks
Fans can listen to Saturday's game live on the radio at SEMO ESPN 1220 AM. Cody Sandusky will call the action. Video can be accessed online at ESPN3. Live stats are available at BUBraves.com. Twitter updates provided @SEMOMBB.

Series History
This year marks the third-straight where Southeast Missouri and Bradley meet. BU leads the overall series by a count of 8-2 and has won each of the last six matchups between these teams. SEMO has never beaten the Braves in Peoria, Illinois where it is 0-8 all-time. BU beat the Redhawks the last time they visited Carver Arena, 84-78, on Nov. 18, 2016.

Against the Missouri Valley
Saturday's game against Bradley marks Southeast Missouri's 300th meeting with a Missouri Valley Conference team. Bradley is the first of two MVC schools the Redhawks face this season. SEMO is 109-190 all-time against the MVC. That record includes a 46-69 mark against SIU, 0-1 record vs. Drake, 5-10 record vs. Evansville, 2-8 mark vs. Bradley, 1-8 record vs. Illinois State, 0-2 record vs. Indiana State and a 55-92 mark vs. Missouri State. SEMO beat longtime rival Southern Illinois, 75-69, for its last win over a MVC opponent on Dec. 9, 2017.

Familiar with the MVC
Rick Ray's first NCAA Division I coaching job was at Indiana State. Ray was an assistant coach there from 1997-2004, helping ISU to consecutive 20-win seasons and NCAA Tournament appearances in 1999-2000 and 2000-01. In 1999-2000, the Sycamores compiled a 14-4 record in the Missouri Valley Conference and won the regular-season title. ISU then won the MVC Tournament the following season. The Sycamores upset No. 4 seed Oklahoma in the first round of the 2001 NCAA Tournament. In addition, Ray was part of the ISU staff that defeated perennial power Indiana in back-to-back seasons. Ray is 2-7 against MVC schools as a head coach (0-2 vs. Bradley; 0-2 vs. Evansville; 1-2 vs. Missouri State; 1-1 vs. Southern Illinois).

First Career Starts
Sophomore Isaiah Gable, junior Skyler Hogan and freshman Sage Tolbert made their first career starts at Saint Louis (Nov. 6). Gable scored six points, Tolbert added seven points and five rebounds, and Hogan added four points and four boards. 

Division I Debuts
Six different Redhawks, including Sage Tolbert, Skyler Hogan, Alex Caldwell, Oscar Kao, Nygal Russell and Gabe McGlothan played their first NCAA Division I game at Saint Louis (Nov. 6). Caldwell (14), Tolbert (7) and McGlothan (7), all freshmen, combined for 28 points. 

Late Rally
Southeast Missouri scored 41 points in a furious second half to give Preseason Atlantic 10 favorite Saint Louis all it could handle during its season-opener on Nov. 6. SEMO trailed by as many as 22 points and was down, 40-26, at halftime before rallying to win the game's final 20 minutes. Freshman Gabe McGlothan made a jumper to pull the Redhawks to within five, 69-64, with 45 seconds on the clock. Fellow rookie Alex Caldwell split two free throws to make it a five-point game again seven seconds later and that was as close as SEMO would get. SEMO heated up to shoot 55.2 percent (16-of-29) from the field in the second half.

Season-Opening Games
Following its strong effort against Saint Louis (Nov. 6), Southeast Missouri now stands at 10-18 in season-opening games since moving to the NCAA Division I ranks in 1991-92. This year marked the 12th time in 13 seasons where the Redhawks tipped off a season on the road.

Brewer Leads the Way
Ledarrius Brewer began the season with a team-high 18 points against Saint Louis (Nov. 6). Brewer shot 7-of-17 from the field, knocked down a pair of 3-pointers, made two free throws and grabbed seven rebounds in a team-best 33 minutes. He dished out two assists and collected two steals, as well. Brewer finished as Southeast Missouri's top scorer for the seventh time in his career and recorded his 23rd career double figure scoring game.

Non-Conference Play
The Redhawks have 15 non-conference wins with Rick Ray as their head coach. Southeast Missouri's most non-conference victories in a season under Ray stand at six during both the 2016-17 and 2017-18 campaigns. SEMO is looking to end a four-game losing streak against non-conference schools. Its last non-league win was on the road against a Missouri Valley Conference opponent in Southern Illinois (75-69, Dec. 9, 2017).

Scoring Streak
Sophomore guard Ledarrius Brewer has scored in 21-consecutive starts dating back to last season. Brewer scored double figures in nine-straight games and 19 of his previous 21. He went over 450 (467) career points at Saint Louis (Nov. 6).

About Bradley
Bradley improved its win total by seven games during the 2017-18 campaign, posting a 20-13 overall record to go with a 9-9 Missouri Valley Conference mark. BU reached the 20-win mark for the first time since 2009. The Braves placed fifth in the MVC standings before advancing to the MVC Tournament semifinals for the first time since 2010. BU returns its top three scorers from 2017-18. Darrell Brown led the Braves with 13.5 points a game, while Nate Kennell and Elija Childs followed with 9.2 and 8.4 points per contest, respectively. BU, which defeated UW-Parkside, 74-58, Wednesday, plays at home for its first three games this season.

Caldwell Steps Up
Freshman guard Alex Caldwell scored 14 points for the first double figure game of his Southeast Missouri career at Saint Louis (Nov. 6). Caldwell shot 4-of-7 from the field, buried two 3-pointers and added a near-perfect 5-of-6 free throws in 19 minutes off the bench. He also pulled down four rebounds and led the Redhawks with four assists. In two-straight years, SEMO has had a true freshman score double figures off the bench in its season-opener. Ledarrius Brewer also accomplished that feat with 14 points against Missouri Baptist on Nov. 10, 2017. 

On the Rebound
Point guard Jonathan Dalton and center Mark Laros are coming up on 100 rebounds in their Southeast Missouri careers. Dalton needs four more, while Laros needs six to hit that mark.

Welcome to Division I
This season marks the first year of NCAA Division I basketball for nine players on Southeast Missouri's roster. Skyler Hogan, Khalil Cuffee, Alex Caldwell, Jordan Love, Oscar Kao, Nygal Russell, Jack Lake, Sage Tolbert and Gabe McGlothan are new to the NCAA Division I scene this year. Hogan, Caldwell, Kao, Russell, Tolbert and McGlothan saw action in their first Division I game at Saint Louis (Nov. 6).

Fourth Year
Rick Ray is in his fourth year as Southeast Missouri's head coach. From top to bottom, SEMO has its most talented roster with Ray at the helm. The Redhawks finished their 2017-18 season with an overall record of 14-17 and 8-10 in the Ohio Valley Conference. SEMO finished seventh in the OVC standings, three spots ahead of where it was picked in the league's Preseason Poll (10th).