Arkansas State (2-1) vs. Southeast Missouri (1-1)

Game Information
Date: Friday, November 19, 2021
Tip-Off: 6:30 p.m., CT
Location: Cape Girardeau, Mo.
Facility: Show Me Center (7,000)
Series: SEMO leads, 31-29
Last Meeting: ASU 79, SEMO 63 (Nov. 29, 2011 | Jonesboro, Ark.)
Head Coaches: Brad Korn (12-17 overall, 12-17 at SEMO; 9-11 OVC). Mike Balado (43-56 overall; 43-56 at ASU).

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

Redhawks Host Arkansas State 
Southeast Missouri (1-1) hosts Sun Belt Conference member Arkansas State (2-1) in non-conference action Friday. Tip-off is set for 6:30 p.m., CT at the Show Me Center.

Follow the Redhawks
Listen live on the radio at Real Rock 99.3 FM with Erik Sean handling the play-by-play duties. Watch on ESPN+. Live stats are available at SEMORedhawks.com. Twitter updates provided @SEMOMBB.

Series History
Southeast Missouri and Arkansas State meet for the 61st time in 2021-22. SEMO holds a 31-29 edge in the all-time series. These teams last faced each other 10 years ago in Jonesboro, Arkansas. SEMO lost that game by a score of 79-63 on Nov. 29, 2011. This will be ASU's first trip to Cape Girardeau in 11 seasons. The Red Wolves beat the Redhawks, 56-50, the last time they came to the Show Me Center on Nov. 27, 2010. ASU has won each of the last five games of the series and 10 of their previous 13 matchups with the Redhawks.

Redhawks Get First Loss of the Season
Southeast Missouri fell victim to a big second half run and couldn't recover in a 97-79 loss to Youngstown State in its home-opener on Nov. 13. SEMO held a 39-37 lead at halftime, but things quickly slipped away from the Redhawks in the final 20 minutes. YSU went on a 15-0 run to build a 17-point advantage (69-52) and led by as many as 24 en route to its win. SEMO dropped to 23-8 all-time in its home-openers since moving to the NCAA Division I ranks in 1991-92.

Against the Sun Belt
Southeast Missouri is 39-34 all-time against Sun Belt Conference schools. SEMO has faced Arkansas State the most of any Sun Belt team in its basketball history.
Arkansas State    31-29
Little Rock    1-3
South Alabama    0-1
Texas State    1-0
Troy    4-1
UT Arlington    2-0

Reed, Jr. Starts Strong
Guard Eric Reed, Jr. is off to a nice start this 2021-22 season. Reed, Jr. is averaging a team-high 19 points per game through two starts thus far. He leads the team with 17-of-19 free throws for a 89.5 percent clip and is averaging 33 minutes per contest. Reed, Jr. scored double figures in three-straight games dating back to last season. He enters Friday's game ranked second in the Ohio Valley Conference in scoring and tied for first in minutes played.

Redhawks Lead OVC in Scoring
Southeast Missouri leads the Ohio Valley Conference in scoring offense with 89 points per game. SEMO put up 99 points in its season-opener at Missouri State (Nov. 9) and folllowed that up with a 79-point effort vs. Youngstown State (Nov. 13). Conversely, the Redhawks are 10th in the OVC in scoring defense allowing 95.4 points per contest. 

Free Throws for Everyone
The Redhawks shot 69 free throws for an average of 34.5 per game in their first two contests. Southeast Missouri made 27-of-34 free throws at Missouri State (Nov. 9) and 25-of-35 vs. Youngstown State (Nov. 13). So far, SIU Edwardsville (48-of-82) is the only Ohio Valley Conference team that has shot more free throws than SEMO. SIUE has played one more game than the Redhawks too. Additionally, there were a combined 104 fouls called in SEMO's first two games of the season.

About Arkansas State
Arkansas State was picked sixth in this year's Sun Belt Conference Preseason Poll. ASU freshman forward Norchad Omier was tabbed the 2021-22 SBC Preseason Player of the Year. Omier was the conference's Freshman of the Year and a All-Sun Belt First-Team honoree after averaging a double-double 12.6 points and 12.3 rebounds per game a year ago. Guard Marquis Eaton earned Second-Team All-Sun Belt Preseason accolades for the Red Wolves. Omier and Eaton are presently second and third on the team in scoring with 11.7 and 10 points per game, respectively.

Nice Improvement
If there is one statistical area Southeast Missouri wants to improve this season, it's turnovers. SEMO committed 415 turnovers for an average of 15.4 per game in 2020-21. Through two games this year, the Redhawks have turned the ball over 21 times. As a result, rank 20th in the nation in fewest turnovers.

First Double-Double
Nygal Russell recorded the first double-double of his career when he finished with 11 points and 11 rebounds in 25 minutes off the bench against Youngstown State (Nov. 13). Russell and Nana Akenten are the only Redhawks on this year's roster currently with at least one double-double in their careers.

Season-Opening Win
The Redhawks tipped off their 2021-22 campaign with a big 99-94 road win at Missouri Valley Conference foe Missouri State (Nov. 9). Southeast Missouri won a season-opener on the road in back-to-back years for the first time in its NCAA Division I history. With a win Saturday, SEMO will start a season at 2-0 for the first time in 18 years. The Redhawks last 2-0 start was in 2003-04 and involved a win against a Horizon League team (63-62, vs. Green Bay).

High Scoring Affair
Southeast Missouri (99) and Missouri State (94) combined for 193 points in their season-opening slugfest on Nov. 9. The 99 points marked SEMO's most in a season-opener since it scored 120 in a win over Missouri Baptist on Nov. 19, 1990. Both the Redhawks and Bears also combined to shoot 69 free throws. SEMO made 27-of-34 and MSU hit 25-of-35.

Three-Game Homestand
The Redhawks are in the middle of a season-long three-game homestand. After Friday's meeting with Arkansas State, Southeast Missouri welcomes Missouri Baptist on Nov. 22. SEMO is 0-1 during the homestand following a 97-79 loss to Youngstown State (Nov. 13).

Redhawks at Home
Southeast Missouri is 7-7 at home under Head Coach Brad Korn. Last year's 7-6 mark was SEMO's first home winning record in four seasons.

Reed, Jr. Leads the Way
Eric Reed, Jr. scored 21 points and nailed a huge 3-pointer with 11 seconds left to lead Southeast Missouri to its 99-94 season-opening victory over Missouri State (Nov. 9). Reed, Jr. shot 6-of-13 from the field and did not miss a free throw (7-of-7) in 35 minutes. It was the fourth 20-point game of his career.

Balanced Attack
At least four players scored in double figures during each of Southeast Missouri's first two games of the season. Eric Reed, Jr. and Nygal Russell scored double-digits in both of those contests.

Mr. Experience
Guard Nygal Russell is Southeast Missouri's most experienced player on this year's roster. Russell has played in a total of 88 games and logged 23 starts in his career. He is in his fourth year with the Redhawks and averages 5.4 points and 3.3 rebounds per game for his career.

Redhawks Tabbed Fourth in OVC Preseason Poll
Southeast Missouri, after being picked to finish no higher than ninth in the Ohio Valley Conference Preseason Poll each of the last five seasons, was selected fourth in 2021-22. The Redhawks tallied 101 points in the overall voting by OVC Head Basketball Coaches and Communication Directors. The Redhawks achieved their highest OVC preseason ranking in seven years. SEMO was selected third overall (second in the West) ahead of the 2014-15 campaign when the conference was split in divisions. Belmont is this year's preseason favorite after garnering 161 points and all but three of the first-place votes. Morehead State, which represented the OVC in the NCAA Tournament last season, collected 141 points and three first-place nods, while Murray State (136 pts.) took third. Tennessee State (84 pts.), Austin Peay (76 pts.), SIU Edwardsville (65 pts.), Tennessee Tech (62 pts.), Eastern Illinois (43 pts.) and UT Martin (34 pts.) complete the 10-team preseason poll.

Big Step Forward
In Brad Korn's first season as head coach in 2020-21, Southeast Missouri made the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament for the first time in four years. The Redhawks finished with an overall record of 11-16 and seventh in the league with a 9-11 mark. SEMO saw a +4 improvement in total wins and a +6 jump in OVC victories from the 2019-20 campaign. The Redhawks' nine conference wins matched their most in a season in 20 years.

Welcome Back
St. Louis native Phillip Russell is back with Southeast Missouri this season. Russell initially signed with the Redhawks out of high school, but decommitted and went to Saint Louis University as a walk-on. He saw action in eight games off the bench and averaged 2.1 points per contest with the Billikens. Prior to that, he helped lead Vashon High School to a state title. Russell will make his first career start as SEMO's point guard at Missouri State Tuesday.

Home Game vs. Morehead State will Air on ESPNU
Southeast Missouri's home game against Morehead State will air on ESPNU as part of the 2021-22 ESPN Basketball Television Package. That matchup is set for Thursday, January 27. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m., CT at the Show Me Center. This year's slate of Conference basketball games across ESPN networks includes nine total men's basketball games (six regular season contests and three OVC Tournament games) that will appear on one of the linear networks during the season. Four of the regular season matchups and the OVC Tournament semifinals will air on ESPNU, two games will be televised on ESPNews and the OVC Tournament championship game will air on ESPN2.