CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – DQ Nicholas scored a season-high 21 points and made a career-best 17 free throws to lead Southeast Missouri (3-6, 1-2) to its first Ohio Valley Conference win, a thrilling 83-79 double overtime victory over Tennessee State (1-6, 0-4) Saturday.

SEMO tied a school record with 40 made free throws in 51 attempts and it needed all of those to pull out its gritty win tonight.

The Redhawks, who played their fourth overtime game in nine contests this year, overcame a nine-point deficit with 2:03 left to play in regulation.

Down, 65-56, Chris Harris made a 3-pointer and added a couple free throws to bring the Redhawks within four. Then, Nicholas made a layup, was fouled and converted a 3-point play to cut the Tigers lead to one. 

After Yusuf Mohamed split two free throws to put TSU ahead, 66-64, Nicholas hit a pair of big free throws with 36 seconds left to tie things up at 66-66. Marcus Fitzgerald's 3-pointer was off the mark on the Tigers final possession forcing overtime.

Nolan Taylor muscled his way to scoring five-straight points and gave SEMO a 72-69 advantage with 2:14 to go in the first overtime period. TSU, however, responded with three free throws to tie the game at 72-72. Harris managed to get a 3-pointer off just before the buzzer sounded, but his shot came off the front of the rim.

SEMO led, 78-74, following two free throws by Harris with 1:52 remaining in the final overtime period. Mohamed later made it an 80-79 game on his free throw with 20 seconds on the clock. 

Taylor split two free throws and Nana Akenten calmly buried his pair of free throws with one second left to put the Redhawks win on ice.

Tied, 16-16, with 8:28 remaining in the first half, SEMO scored nine of the game's next 11 points to build a seven-point cushion. The Redhawks scored seven of their points at the free throw line and Jordan Love completed a 3-point play to put the Redhawks ahead, 25-18, at the 5:38 mark.

TSU answered with a 10-3 run and knotted things up at 28-28 on a jump hook by Mohamed. Harris then nailed a 3-pointer at the buzzer to send SEMO into the locker room with a 31-28 edge at the half.

Eric Reed, Jr. scored the first points of the game when he made a layup, was fouled and converted a 3-point play a little over a minute into the contest. The lead was the Redhawks first since the 1:12 mark of the first half in their league opener vs. UT Martin on Dec. 18.

SEMO also had five blocks in the first half, its most in an opening stanza of basketball this season.

Nicholas, who scored over 20 points for the fourth time in his career, led four Redhawk starters in double figures. He missed only two free throws, going 17-of-19, for the game. Nicholas also grabbed seven rebounds, dished out five assists and had three steals.

Harris followed with 17 points, made three 3-pointers and was a near-perfect 6-of-7 at the free throw line. Taylor and Reed, Jr. added 14 and 13 points, respectively.

SEMO outscored TSU, 40-22, at the free throw line. The Redhawks and Tigers were 11th and 12th in the OVC in free throw percentage entering tonight's matchup.

Fitzgerald and Ravel Moody each scored 18 points to lead TSU. Mason Green contributed 10 points, as well. 

SEMO ended a five-game losing streak en route to giving Brad Korn his first career OVC victory as a head coach. Additionally, Redhawks started a New Year with a win for the first time since 2013 (86-84, vs. Austin Peay on Jan. 3).

The Redhawks hit the road to face OVC leader Belmont on Jan. 7.