Southeast Missouri (2-5, 0-1 OVC) at Tennessee Tech (0-9, 0-2 OVC)

Game Information
Date: Wednesday, December 30, 2020
Tip-Off: 8 p.m., CT
Location: Cookeville, Tenn.
Arena: Eblen Center (7,500)
Series: TTU leads, 35-17
Last Meeting: TTU 71, SEMO 62 (Feb. 22, 2020 | Cookeville, Tenn.)
Head Coaches: Brad Korn (2-5 overall, 2-5 at SEMO; 0-1 OVC). John Pelphrey (158-157 overall; 9-31 at TTU).

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

Back in Action
Southeast Missouri (2-5, 0-1) returns to Ohio Valley Conference action at winless Tennessee Tech (0-9, 0-2) Wednesday. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m., CT at the Eblen 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 TTUSports.com. Twitter updates provided @SEMOMBB.

Break is Over
The Redhawks enter their midweek matchup with Tennessee Tech coming off an eight-day break. Southeast Missouri last played at Indiana State on Dec. 22. The Redhawks are on the road for the fourth time this year.

End of 2020
Southeast Missouri closes out 2020 at Tennessee Tech Wednesday. The Redhawks are 1-5 in December and are looking to snap a four-game losing streak. The four losses during SEMO's losing streak were by a combined 17 points. Two of those games went to overtime, as well. 

Non-Conference Complete
The Redhawks went 2-4 during their shortened six-game non-conference schedule. Southeast Missouri beat Kansas City, 71-66, on Nov. 28 and Lipscomb, 82-77, on Dec. 7 for its two non-league victories. Three of SEMO's four non-conference losses were in overtime.

Series History
Wednesday marks the 53rd meeting between Southeast Missouri and Tennessee Tech. TTU leads the all-time series by a count of 35-17. The Golden Eagles won four of the last six matchups. TTU also won three-straight games against the Redhawks in Cookeville. The last time SEMO won at the Eblen Center was on Jan. 18, 2014 (83-74).  

Last Time Out
Indiana State made 28 free throws to key a 72-66 win over Southeast Missouri on Dec. 22. One of the top free throw shooting teams in the Missouri Valley Conference, ISU shot 80 percent (28-of-35) at the charity stripe and that was the difference. The Redhawks never led in the game en route to their first loss of the season that wasn't in overtime or by a last second shot. 

About Tennessee Tech
Tennessee Tech, which is last in the Ohio Valley Conference as the only league team without a win (0-9), has dropped 11-straight games dating back to the 2019-20 campaign. The Golden Eagles last win was against Southeast Missouri (71-62) on Feb. 22, 2020 in Cape Girardeau. TTU is last in the OVC in scoring offense (59.4 ppg), scoring defense (79.8 ppg allowed), scoring margin (-20.3), field goal percentage (.400), turnover margin (-6.4), assist/turnover ratio (0.7) and defensive rebounding percentage (.241). The Golden Eagles are one of 15 NCAA Division I teams without a win this year. 

Redhawks Fall in OVC Opener
Southeast Missouri dropped another close game, this time a 69-67 setback in its Ohio Valley Conference opener vs. UT Martin on Dec. 18. SEMO fell to 10-20 all-time in Ohio Valley Conference openers. The Redhawks are in their 30th season as a member of the OVC. 

Season of Thrillers
The Redhawks have lost three games in overtime and one on a last second shot this season. Southeast Missouri has been involved in a one-possession contest in regulation during the final minute of all those contests. Most recently, Chris Harris made a 3-pointer to tie the game before UT Martin beat the Redhawks on a baseline shot with one second remaining on Dec. 18. SEMO has been outscored by a close 2.1 margin through its first seven games. 

OVC Leader
Southeast Missouri leads the Ohio Valley Conference with a .379 3-point field goal percentage. The Redhawks have made 55-of-145 three-pointers through seven contests. SEMO is averaging just under eight (7.9) 3-pointers a game. The Redhawks have made 20 more 3-pointers than where they were seven games into their 2019-20 campaign (35).

Agnew Checks In
Forward Darrious Agnew saw his first action of the 2020-21 season when he logged 12 minutes off the bench at Indiana State (Dec. 22). Agnew scored two points, grabbed two rebounds, gathered a block and collected one steal. It was the first game he played since Feb. 29, 2020 (at UT Martin).

Give it Up for the Freshman
Freshman Dylan Branson scored double figures for the first time in his college career when he dropped in 12 points at Indiana State (Dec. 22). Branson made a perfect 3-of-3 three-pointers and added 3-of-4 free throws in a season-high 20 minutes against the Sycamores. He also had four rebounds. Branson has played in all seven games this season.

Patterson Takes the Court
A day after the NCAA voted all Division I transfers could play immediately, forward Manny Patterson took the court for the first time in a Redhawk uniform. A transfer from Green Bay, Patterson grabbed four rebounds in five minutes off the bench. In two games, Patterson is 2.5 points and three rebounds.

Top Scorer
Chris Harris scored double figures for the sixth time in seven starts this season when he finished with 16 points at Indiana State (Dec. 22). Harris, who leads Southeast Missouri and ranks fifth in the Ohio Valley Conference with 16.6 points a game, has scored over 20 points twice this year. He also leads the Redhawks with 14 three-pointers made. Harris finished as SEMO's leading scorers five times thus far.

Working Overtime
The Redhawks went to overtime in three of their seven games this year. Southeast Missouri lost at home to Southern Illinois (87-79) on Dec. 2 and at Lipscomb (80-74) on Dec. 9. The Redhawks also fell to Evansville (66-63) on the road on Dec. 15. 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 action  in program history.

Board Certified
The Redhawks outrebounded their opponent for the fifth time in seven games when it held a +5 advantage (35-30) on the boards at Indiana State (Dec. 22). Southeast Missouri ranks second in the Ohio Valley Conference with a +6.7 rebounding margin and is outrebounding its opponents, 261-214. The Redhawks are also averaging 10.6 offensive rebounds per contest.

What a Steal
DQ Nicholas leads the Redhawks and ranks 11th in the Ohio Valley Conference in steals. Nicholas has 10 steals for an     average of 1.3 per game this year.

Nolan is Rollin'
Redhawks big man Nolan Taylor ranks second on the team in scoring (10.7 ppg) and rebounding (6.1 rpg). Taylor has scored double figures in five of his first seven starts and 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 percent clip (21-of-30). 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 three players averaging double figures in the scoring column. Chris Harris leads the way with 16.6 points per game. Nolan Taylor (10.7 ppg) and Eric Reed, Jr. (10.4) round out that group. Harris also ranks fifth in the Ohio Valley Conference in scoring.

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 13 points in his last two games. Reed, Jr. led the Redhawks with 16 points off the bench at Evansville (Dec. 15) and followed that up with 10 points vs. UT Martin (Dec. 18) three days later. He is the Redhawks third-leading scorer with 10.4 points a game.

OVC Top-Five
The Redhawks rank among the top five Ohio Valley Conference teams in several categories thus far. Southeast Missouri is first in 3-point field goal percentage (.379), fourth in rebounding offense (37.3 rpg), second in rebounding defense (30.6 rpg), second in rebounding margin (+6.7), fourth in defensive rebounds (26.7 rpg), first in defensive rebound percentage (.835), fifth in offensive rebound percentage (.295) and fourth in 3-point field goals made (7.9 per game).