UT Martin (2-0) vs. Southeast Missouri (2-3)

Game Information
Date: Friday, December 18, 2020
Tip-Off: 6:30 p.m., CT
Location: Cape Girardeau, Mo.
Arena: Show Me Center (7,000)
Series: SEMO leads, 44-29
Last Meeting: UTM 87, SEMO 78 (Feb. 29, 2020 | Martin, Tenn.)
Head Coaches: Brad Korn (2-3 overall, 2-3 at SEMO; 0-0 OVC). Montez Robinson (2-0 overall; 2-0 at UTM).

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

Conference Play
Southeast Missouri (2-3) plays host to UT Martin (2-0) in its Ohio Valley Conference opener Friday. Tip-off is set for 6:30 p.m., CT at the Show Me 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 GoSoutheast.com. Twitter updates provided @SEMOMBB.

Remembering Coach Stewart
Southeast Missouri will play Friday's matchup in memory Anthony Stewart who passed away before the start of his fifth season as UT Martin's head coach. SEMO will honor Coach Stewart by leaving an empty chair on its bench with a sport coat draped on the back of it. The Redhawks will also have a moment of silence for Coach Stewart prior to tip-off. SEMO Head Coach Brad Korn and Stewart coached together during their time at Southern Illinois.   

Series History
The Redhawks lead the all-time series against their travel partner UT Martin, 44-29. The Skyhawks have lost at the Show Me Center in five of their last six trips to Cape Girardeau. Each of the last two meetings between these teams at the Show Me Center were decided by no more than five points. 

OVC Openers
Southeast Missouri is 10-19 all-time in Ohio Valley Conference openers. SEMO began league play on the road each of the last two years. The Redhawks are in their 30th season as a member of the OVC.

Korn Makes OVC Debut
The newest head coach in the Ohio Valley Conference, Brad Korn coaches his first league game against UT Martin Friday. Korn is presently 1-1 at the Show Me Center in his first year as a head coach. His first career home win came on the front end of a home-and-home series with Lipscomb (82-77) on Dec. 7. 

Change of Pace
Friday's game vs. UT Martin is right before the final leg of Southeast Missouri's non-conference slate. The Redhawks will head to Missouri Valley Conference member Indiana State for their last non-conference bout on Dec. 22. The Sycamores are the third Valley team SEMO faces on its shortened six-game non-conference schedule. 

Working Overtime
The Redhawks went to overtime in three of their last four games. Southeast Missouri lost at home to Southern Illinois (87-79) on Dec. 2 and at Lipscomb (80-74) on Dec. 9. Most recently, the Redhawks fell to Evansville (66-63) on the road Tuesday. SEMO was involved in only one overtime game in 31 contests last season. The three overtimes are the most the Redhawks have played during a season in non-conference games in program history.

Redhawk Rewind
Southeast Missouri lost in overtime for the third time when it fell to Evansville, 66-63, at the Ford Center Tuesday. UE trailed, 54-48, with 2:50 left to play when it scored eight of the final 10 points of regulation to tie the game at 56-56. Jawaun Newton knocked down two free throws with 21 seconds to knot things up. In overtime, SEMO led, 63-61, after Jordan Love split a pair of free throws with 18 seconds on the clock. On the next possession, Shamar Givance made a layup, was fouled and converted his 3-point play to send the Purple Aces to victory.

Board Certified
The Redhawks outrebounded their opponent for the fourth-straight game when it held a +9 advantage (41-32) on the boards at Evansville (Dec. 15). Southeast Missouri also outrebounded the Purple Aces, 10-5, on the offensive glass. SEMO ranks second in the Ohio Valley Conference in rebounding defense (30.2 rpg) and rebounding margin (+8.6). Overall, the Redhawks are averaging 38.8 rebounds a game. 

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 three rebounds away from getting 200 in his career.

Nice Jump
The Redhawks have made 40 three-pointers through their first five games in 2020-21. Southeast Missouri is averaging eight threes per game. SEMO made only 24 three-pointers in its first five games a year ago. The Redhawks rank second in the Ohio Valley Conference in 3-point field goal percentage. SEMO has hit 40-of-101 threes (.396).

Winning Regulation
Southeast Missouri has not lost in regulation play during all five of its games this year. The Redhawks are 2-0-3 in regulation basketball.

Gotta Love It
Jordan Love leads the team and ranks 10th in the Ohio Valley Conference with eight steals. Love is averaging 1.6 steals a game through five contests this season.

Last Time vs. UT Martin
UT Martin used a 13-5 run in the final four minutes of the game to get by Southeast Missouri in the 2019-20 season finale on Feb. 29. The Redhawks and Skyhawks went back-and-forth in a game that featured 10 ties and 10 lead changes. That matchup was played at the Elam Center in Martin, Tennessee.

Nolan is Rollin'
Redhawks big man Nolan Taylor enters Ohio Valley Conference play ranked second on the team in scoring (12.2 ppg) and tied for first in rebounding (7 rpg). Taylor has scored double figures in four of his first five starts and recently just missed a double-double with 13 points and nine boards at Evansville (Dec. 15). Taylor established season-bests in points (16), assists (5) and minutes (28) against Lipscomb (Dec. 7). He previously scored 10 points vs. Kansas City (Nov. 28) and 14 vs. Southern Illinois (Dec. 2). Taylor is also the Redhawks second-leading free throw shooter with a 70.8 percent clip (17-of-24). 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 15.4 points per game. Nolan Taylor (12.2 ppg), Eric Reed, Jr. (11.4 ppg) and Nana Akenten (10 ppg) round out the group. Harris also ranks ninth in the Ohio Valley Conference in scoring.

Six Double-Digit Games
Chris Harris, who missed all but two games due to a knee injury inj 2019-20, scored double figures in each of the first 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 recently fell below double figures for the first time when he scored four points at Evansville (Dec. 15). 

Spark Plug
In the first time he was out of the starting lineup this season, guard Eric Reed, Jr. notched a season-best 19 points. Reed, Jr. came off the bench to shoot 8-of-10 from the field and a near-perfect 3-of-4 from 3-point range in 23 minutes. He averaged 18 points in his last two games alone. Reed, Jr. led the Redhawks with 16 points off the bench at Evnasville (Dec. 15).

OVC Top-Five
The Redhawks rank among the top five Ohio Valley Conference teams in several categories thus far. Southeast Missouri is second in 3-point field goal percentage (.396), fifth in rebounding offense (38.8 rpg), second in rebounding defense (30.2 rpg), second in rebounding margin (+8.6), fifth in defensive rebounds (27.4 rpg), first in defensive rebound percentage (.856), fifth in offensive rebound percentage (.308) and 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 369 points, dished out 90 assists, knocked down 42 three-pointers, made 77 free throws, grabbed 197 rebounds and collected 34 steals in 64 games and 21 starts during his career.