Southeast Missouri (2-2) at Evansville (1-3)

Game Information
Date: Tuesday, December 15, 2020
Tip-Off: 6 p.m., CT
Location: Evansville, Ind.
Arena: Ford Center (8.930)
Series: UE leads, 10-5
Last Meeting: UE 66, SEMO 50 (Nov. 16, 2017 | Evansville, Ind.)
Head Coaches: Brad Korn (2-2 overall, 2-2 at SEMO; 0-0 OVC). Todd Lickliter (1-3 overall, 1-3 at UE).

Follow the Redhawks
Radio: Real Rock 99.3 FM (Erik Sean)
Video: ESPN+
Live Stats: GoPurpleAces.com
Twitter: @SEMOMBB
Game Notes: Southeast Missouri

Back in Action
Southeast Missouri (2-2) travels to Missouri Valley Conference member Evansville (1-3) Tuesday. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m., CT at the Ford Center.

Follow the Redhawks
Fans can listen live on the radio at Real Rock 99.3 FM with Erik Sean calling the action. Video can be accessed online at ESPN+. Live stats are available at GoPurpleAces.com. Twitter updates provided @SEMOMBB.

Series History
Evansville leads the all-time series against Southeast Missouri, 10-5. UE has won eight of the last nine meetings between the teams. SEMO last played the Purple Aces on Nov. 16, 2017. The Redhawks fell to UE, 66-50, in that game. SEMO is 1-7 all-time against UE in Evansville. The Redhawks are 0-2 vs. the Purple Aces at the Ford Center, which also serves as the host of the Ohio Valley Conference Basketball Championships.

The Valley
Evansville, which was picked last in the Missouri Valley Conference Preseason Poll, is the second of three Valley teams on Southeast Missouri's six-game non-conference slate. SEMO lost to Southern Illinois, 87-79, in overtime on Dec. 2. After Tuesday's game at UE, the Redhawks will close out their non-league schedule with a trip to Indiana State on Dec. 22. 

OVC Play Starts Friday
Sandwiched between Southeast Missouri's final two non-conference tilts at Evansville (Dec. 15) and Indiana State (Dec. 22) is the Redhawks Ohio Valley Conference opener vs. UT Martin on Dec. 18. This year's adjusted 20-game OVC schedule allows the Redhawks to play their travel partner (UTM) twice before the Christmas holiday if agreed upon by both teams. SEMO and UTM were initially set to begin OVC play in Martin, Tennessee on Dec. 12, but that matchup was postponed because the Skyhawks paused activities due to NCAA testing protocols. 

Against the Missouri Valley
Southeast Missouri plays its 305th game against a Missouri Valley Conference foe at Evansville Tuesday. The Redhawks are 109-195 all-time against the MVC. Here are SEMO's records vs. Valley opponents.
vs. Southern Illinois    46-72
vs. Drake    0-2 
vs. Evansville    5-10
vs. Bradley    2-9
vs. Illinois State    1-8
vs. Indiana State    0-2
vs. Missouri State    55-92

Working Overtime
The Redhawks went to overtime in two of their first four games. Southeast Missouri lost at home to Southern Illinois (87-79) on Dec. 2 and at Lipscomb (80-74) on Dec. 9. SEMO was involved in only one overtime game in 31 contests last season. This year marks the first since 1991-92 where the Redhawks played in two overtime games in non-conference play.

Redhawk Rewind
Southeast Missouri put together a ferocious comeback to erase a 15-point deficit in its overtime loss at Lipscomb (Dec. 9). The Redhawks trailed, 40-25, with 16:21 left to play. After Jake Wolfe made a free throw to give LU a 42-33 advantage with 12:12 remaining, SEMO went on a 20-2 run to take a nine-point lead of its own. Nolan Taylor made a layup to give the Redhawks their first lead since the opening half and DQ Nicholas capped the surge with four free throws off a pair of technical fouls by the Bisons. SEMO was up, 63-60, when Wolfe buried an off-balance 3-pointer at the buzzer in regulation.

Board Certified
Southeast Missouri outrebounded its opponent for the third-straight game when it held a +16 advantage (41-25) on the boards at Lipscomb (Dec. 9). The Redhawks also outrebounded the Bisons, 15-3, on the offensive glass. SEMO leads the Ohio Valley Conference in rebounding defense (29.8 rpg) and ranks second in rebounding margin (+8.5).

First to 20
Chris Harris became the first Southeast Missouri player to score 20 points in a game. Harris dropped in a career-high 21 on 7-of-17 field goals and 3-of-8 free throws. He nailed a career-best four 3-pointers, as well. 

Nicholas on the Rise
Point guard DQ Nicholas has seen his scoring average jump 3.5 points over his last two starts. Nicholas has scored double figures in back-to-back games with 12 and 17 points, respectively during Southeast Missouri's home-and-home series against Lipscomb. He shot 9-of-11 at the free throw line in those two contests to help increase his average from 7.5 to 11 points per game. Nicholas is now third on the team in scoring.

Closing In
Nygal Russell is approaching 100 assists in his career. Russell currently has 90 assists. Russell is in his fourth season with the Redhawks as a redshirt-junior. He is also nine rebounds away from getting 200 in his career.

Nice Jump
The Redhawks have made 32 three-pointers through their first four games in 2020-21. Southeast Missouri is averaging eight threes per game. SEMO made only 20 three-pointers in its first four games a year ago. The Redhawks rank second in the Ohio Valley Conference in 3-point field goal percentage. SEMO has hit 32-of-85 threes (.376).

Winning Regulation
Southeast Missouri has not lost in regulation play during all four of its games this year. The Redhawks are 2-0-2 in regulation basketball.

Gotta Love It
Jordan Love leads the Ohio Valley Conference in assist/turnover ratio. Love dished out 12 assists to just four turnovers for a 3.0 ratio in his first four games. He came off the bench for all those contests.

Last Time vs. Evansville
None of the players on the 2020-21 roster were with the Redhawks the last time they faced Evansville three years ago. Southeast Missouri and UE met at the Ford Center as part of the Cancun Challenge on Nov. 16, 2017. The Redhawks committed 18 turnovers in a 66-50 loss to the Purple Aces. UE started the game on a 10-2 run and led by 15 (36-21) at halftime. 

Nolan is Rollin'
Redhawks big man Nolan Taylor increased his scoring numbers each of his first three starts at Southeast Missouri. Taylor established season-bests in points (16), rebounds (8), assists (5) and minutes (28) against Lipscomb (Dec. 7). Taylor, who ranks second on the team  with 6.5 rebounds per game and stands second on the team with 12 points per contest, previously scored 10 points vs. Kansas City (Nov. 28) and 14 vs. Southern Illinois (Dec. 2). He is also the Redhawks second-leading free throw shooter with a 76.2 percent clip (16-of-21). SEMO is the third Division I school Taylor has played basketball at. Prior to joining the Redhawks, he spent two seasons at Pepperdine and two at Cal Poly. Taylor's 2019-20 campaign was limited to 14 games due to injury.

Seeing Double
The Redhawks currently have four players averaging double figures in the scoring column. Chris Harris leads the way with 18.3 points per game. Nolan Taylor (12 ppg), DQ Nicholas (11.0 ppg) and Eric Reed, Jr. (10.3 ppg) round out the group. Harris also ranks fifth in the Ohio Valley Conference in scoring.

Six and Counting
Chris Harris, who missed all but two games due to a knee injury inj 2019-20, has scored double figures in all six games he played at Southeast Missouri. A native of Antioch, Illinois, Harris scored a career-high 21 points at Lipscomb (Dec. 9). He also made multiple 3-pointers in five of those contests. Harris owns a career scoring average of 17.3 points in six games and three starts at SEMO.

OVC Top-Five
The Redhawks rank among the top five Ohio Valley Conference teams in several categories thus far. Southeast Missouri is fifth in scoring offense (76.5 ppg), fifth in field goal percentage (.457), second in 3-point field goal percentage (.376), fifth in rebounding offense (38.2 rpg), first in rebounding defense (29.8 rpg), second in rebounding margin (+8.5), tied for third in blocks (4 bpg), third in assists (15  apg), fourth in steals (7.5 spg), fourth in assist/turnover ratio (60 assists, 58 turnovers, 1.0 ratio), fourth in offensive rebounds (11.8 rpg), first in defensive rebounding percentage (.855) and tied for fourth in 3-point field goals made (8 per game).

Experienced Russell
Nygal Russell has the most experience on Southeast Missouri's 2020-21 roster. Russell is playing his third season with the Redhawks as a redshirt-junior. He has scored 367 points, dished out 90 assists, knocked down 42 three-pointers, made 77 free throws, grabbed 191 rebounds and collected 33 steals in 63 games and 20 starts during his career.