Murray State (12-5, 5-0 OVC) vs. Southeast Missouri (4-14, 0-5 OVC)
Date: Saturday, January 18, 2020
Tip-Off: 4 p.m., CT
Location: Cape Girardeau, Mo.
Arena: Show Me Center (7,000)
Series History: MSU leads, 59-21
Last Meeting: MSU 81, SEMO 59 (Jan. 4, 2020 | Murray, Ky.)
Head Coaches: Rick Ray (84-154 overall; 47-94 at SEMO; 24-49 OVC). Matt McMahon (99-47 overall; 99-47 at MSU; 55-18 OVC).
Media Coverage
Radio: Real Rock 99.3 FM (Erik Sean)
Video: ESPN+
Live Stats: GoSoutheast.com
Twitter: @SEMOMBB
Southeast Missouri Notes (PDF)
Redhawks Close Home Stand
Southeast Missouri (4-14, 0-5) closes out its four-game home stand when it hosts rival Murray State (12-5, 5-0) Saturday. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m., CT, at the Show Me Center.
Follow the Redhawks
Fans can listen to Saturday's game live on the radio at Real Rock 99.3 FM. Erik Sean will call the action. Video is available at ESPN+. Live stats can be accessed at GoSoutheast.com. Twitter updates provided @SEMOMBB.
Celebrating 1999-2000
This year marks the 20th Anniversary of the 1999-2000 Southeast Missouri basketball team which won the program's only Ohio Valley Conference regular-season and tournament titles, and made the NCAA Tournament. That team, which is also in the SEMO Athletics Hall of Fame, went 24-7 overall and ended Murray State's streak of three straight OVC Tournament titles. SEMO later fell to the then-#10 LSU Tigers at the first round of the NCAA Regional in Salt Lake City, Utah. Members from the 1999-2000 team will be introduced at halftime of Saturday's game.
Series History
Southeast Missouri and Murray State meet for the 81st time Saturday. MSU holds a 59-21 lead in the all-time series, which began in 1930-31. The Racers have the most wins against SEMO of any Ohio Valley Conference opponent. MSU has won each of the last five meetings of the series and nine of the previous 11 matchups. The Racers beat the Redhawks, 81-59, during the last meeting on Jan. 4.
What's Next
After Saturday's game against Murray State, Southest Missouri plays the rest of January on the road. SEMO will play four games outside of Cape Girardeau with trips to SIU Edwardsville (Jan. 23), Eastern Illinois (Jan. 25), Morehead State (Jan. 30) and Eastern Kentucky (Feb. 1).
Tough Early Stretch
The early part of Southeast Missouri's Ohio Valley Conference slate included matchups with Austin Peay, Murray State, Belmont and Tennessee State -- presently the top four teams in the conference standings. Combined, those teams are 48-23 overall and 18-2 in conference play this year. SEMO already played APSU and MSU twice during the first three weeks of the conference season.
Large Margin
Southeast Missouri has dropped six of its last nine games by 15 or more points. Four times during that stretch, the Redhawks fell by 22 or more. Opponents are averaging 81.4 points per game and hold a +17.8 scoring margin against SEMO through five games in Ohio Valley Conference play.
OVC Member
Southeast Missouri is in its 29th season as a member of the Ohio Valley Conference. SEMO first joined the league when it moved to NCAA Division I in 1991-92. The Redhawks are 188-287 all-time in OVC play. SEMO last had a winning OVC record in 2016-17 (9-7).
Agnew Returns
Forward Darrious Agnew returned from his torn meniscus injury against Austin Peay (Jan. 16). Agnew played seven minutes off the bench. He missed each of the Redhawks first four Ohio Valley Conference games of the season.
All Eighteen
Guard Skyler Hogan and forward Sage Tolbert are the only two players who have started all 18 games for Southeast Missouri this year. Hogan has made 23-straight starts and Tolbert logged 26-consecutive starts dating back to last season.
Nicholas Delivers
Freshman DQ Nicholas picked up his seventh double-digit effort this season when he led the Redhawks with 16 points vs. Austin Peay (Jan. 16). Nicholas shot 6-of-12 from the field in 32 minutes. It marked the fourth time he scored 16 or more points this year. He is currently Southeast Missouri's second active leading scorer with 9.2 points per game.
Who Wants a Dozen?
Nygal Russell tied his career-high of 12 points vs. Austin Peay (Jan. 16). Russell came off the bench to drain three 3-pointers and grab four rebounds in 19 minutes. He has hit his career-high in two of Southeast Missouri's last four games.
Redhawks Drop Fifth in a Row
Southeast Missouri suffered its fifth-straight loss when it fell to Austin Peay, 84-59, on Jan. 16. APSU completed a two-game sweep of the Redhawks in the first three weeks of the Ohio Valley Conference season. The Governors used a 25-3 run and scored 17 unanswered points when SEMO didn't score for over nine minutes in the first half. The Redhawks shot 30 percent or less, trailed by double figures at halftime and then shot better than 54 percent in the second half in both of their games against APSU.
OVC Start
The Redhawks are off to a 0-5 start in Ohio Valley Conference play with all of their losses to the top four teams in the league. Southeast Missouri dropped road games at Austin Peay (78-63, Jan. 2) and Murray State (81-59, Jan. 4), and suffered home losses to Belmont (89-64, Jan. 9), Tennessee State (75-73, Jan. 11) and Austin Peay (84-59, Jan. 16). SEMO is presently the only OVC team without a conference win.
Redhawks at Home
The Redhawks are 3-4 at the Show Me Center with wins over Purdue Fort Wayne (79-78, Nov. 10), Missouri S&T (72-71, Nov. 22) and Missouri Baptist (74-59, Dec. 29). Southeast Missouri dropped its first three Ohio Valley Conference matchups at home.
3-Point Difference
Southeast Missouri has made 98 three-pointers through 18 games, fewest in the Ohio Valley Conference. The Redhawks are averaging 5.4 three-pointers per contest and made 30.6 percent (98-of-320). SEMO has shot under 30 percent from beyond the arc a total of nine times this year. The Redhawks shot under 20 percent on three occasions. Opponents have made 142 threes and hold a 426-294 (+132) advantage in points behind the 3-point line.
About Murray State
Murray State carries an Ohio Valley Conference long six-game winning streak to Cape Girardeau Saturday. MSU, which shares first place in the OVC standings with Austin Peay, leads the conference in scoring defense (62.9 ppg allowed), field goal percentage (.483), field goal percentage defense (.388), rebounding defense (29.1 rpg) and rebounding margin (+10.3). Tevin Brown ranks among the league's top scorers. Brown is fifth with 17.1 points a game. The Racers are second in scoring offense with 76.6 points per game behind Belmont's 81.9. A win Saturday will give Matt McMahon his 100th career victory as MSU's head coach.
