Tennessee State (7-10, 2-3 OVC) vs. Southeast Missouri (6-11, 1-3 OVC)

Game Information
Date: Thursday, January 20, 2022
Tip-Off: 7 p.m., CT
Location: Cape Girardeau, Mo.
Facility: Show Me Center (7,000)
Series: TSU leads, 29-24
Last Meeting: TSU 95, SEMO 84 (Jan. 8, 2022 | Nashville, Tenn.)
Head Coaches: Brad Korn (17-27 overall, 17-27 at SEMO; 10-14 OVC). Brian "Penny" Collins (38-65 overall; 38-65 at TSU).

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 Tennessee State 
Southeast Missouri (6-11, 1-3) plays host to Tennessee State (7-10, 2-3) Thursday. Tip-off is set for 7 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. Video can be accessed at ESPN+ and live stats are available at SEMORedhawks.com. Twitter updates provided @SEMOMBB.

Series History
Southeast Missouri and Tennessee State meet for the 54th time Thursday. TSU holds a 29-24 advantage in the overall series. The Tigers won the first matchup between the teams this season with a 95-84 showing on Jan. 8 in Nashville.

COVID Protocols
The Redhawks did not play either of their games last week due to COVID protocols within their program. Southeast Missouri was scheduled to play Tennessee Tech at home on Jan. 13 and SIU Edwardsville on the road Jan. 15. SEMO's game with TTU will not be rescheduled at this time since the Golden Eagles already reached their four-game rescheduling limit. In the event a window opens up on a Thursday or Saturday due to other postponements, the Conference office will work with both schools to reschedule that game. If the game is not rescheduled, it will become a no-contest. Meanwhile, the Redhawks game at SIUE has been rescheduled for Feb. 7 at 7 p.m., CT.

Home Winning Streak
Southeast Missouri is presently on a four-game home winning streak after beating Missouri Baptist (71-63, Nov. 22), Webster (76-64, Dec. 4), Evansville (75-73, Dec. 8) and Austin Peay (98-79, Jan. 1). SEMO is on its longest home winning streak since it won five in a row during the 2016-17 campaign. The Redhawks are 4-2 at the Show Me Center this year. 

Akenten Produces
Nana Akenten came off the bench to score double figures in two games last week. Akenten scored a season-high 19 points at Belmont (Jan. 6) and followed that up with 16 points two days later at Tennessee State (Jan. 8). He shot 57.1 percent (12-of-21) from the field and 50 percent (9-of-18) from 3-point range. His five 3-pointers against the Bruins marked a season-best. Akenten had scored only 13 points in six games prior to outburst at Belmont.

Last Time Out
Southeast Missouri dropped a 95-84 decision to Tennessee State (Jan. 8). Despite playing without post players Sam Thompson and Manny Patterson, SEMO made things interesting down the stretch. Trailing, 86-67, with 3:16 left to play, the Redhawks turned it up defensively to force three turnovers and scored 10-straight points in a span of 1:26 to get within nine. The Redhawks later cut TSU's lead to eight, but that was as close as they would get.

Back in the 20s
Two days after going scoreless for the first time this season, Phillip Russell pitched in 22 points at Tennessee State (Jan. 8). Russell shot 6-of-11 from the field and made a season-high 9-of-13 free throws in his fifth 20-point effort of 2021-22.

First OVC Win
Southeast Missouri picked up its first Ohio Valley Conference win of the season in impressive fashion when it thumped Austin Peay, 98-79, on Jan. 1. With the win, SEMO improved to 14-15 all-time in OVC home-openers. It was the Redhawks first victory in an OVC home-opener since 2016-17. That year, SEMO beat Eastern Kentucky, 81-48, on Dec. 31.

Happy New Year!
The Redhawks started the New Year with a 98-79 win over Austin Peay. SEMO and APSU went head-to-head in the only Ohio Valley Conference game that day as all other matchups were postponed. The Redhawks posted a victory in their first game of a New Year for the second-straight season. Last season, SEMO beat Tennessee State, 83-79, in double overtime on Jan. 2.

Redhawks End Skid
Southeast Missouri ended a season-long five-game losing streak with its recent win over Austin Peay (Jan. 1). All five of those losses were on the road with four of those decided by double-digits. The win over the Governors was SEMO's first since the Redhawks edged Evansville, 75-73, on Dec. 8.

Fouls and Free Throws Galore
In Southeast Missouri's previous game at Tennessee State (Jan. 8), there were a combined 54 fouls between the two teams. As a result, the Redhawks (25-of-34) and Tigers (34-of-40) attempted 74 free throws. Both TSU and SEMO were in the bonus for the final 13-plus minutes of the contest. Fifty-four of those free throws were shot in the second half alone.

Nicholas Tops the OVC in Free Throw Percentage
DQ Nicholas leads the Ohio Valley Conference in free throw percentage. Nicholas is 32-of-36 for an 88.9 percent clip at the charity stripe. He is one of four Redhawks among the league's top nine free throw shooters. Chris Harris (4th, .807), Eric Reed, Jr. (6th, .790) and Phillip Russell (9th, .735) are the others.

Redhawks Lead OVC in Free Throw Percentage
Southeast Missouri leads the Ohio Valley Conference in free throw percentage. SEMO is shooting 74.9 percent (263-of-351) at the line through 17 games. The Redhawks have made and attempted more free throws than any other team in the league. SEMO is shooting over 20 (20.6) free throws per game. Belmont leads the OVC with a .756 free throw percentage. 

Picking Up Where He Left Off
Five days after pouring in a career-high 34 points vs. Austin Peay (Jan. 1), Eric Reed, Jr. led Southeast Missouri with 22 points at Belmont (Jan. 6). Reed, Jr. scored all of his points in the first half and buried six more 3-pointers along the way. In his last three starts alone, Reed, Jr. averaged 25.3 points per game and knocked down 17 three-pointers for an average of nearly six (5.6) per contest in that span. He ranks third in the Ohio Valley Conference with 21.3 points per game against league opponents. 

Over 100
With his six 3-pointers made at Belmont (Jan. 6), Eric Reed, Jr. went over 100 in his Southeast Missouri career. Reed, Jr. is 102-of-237 from 3-point range as a Redhawk. His .430 three-point field goal percentage currently ranks third all-time among SEMO's career leaders.

Redhawks Take Two OVC Honors
Southeast Missouri shooting guard Eric Reed, Jr. and freshman point guard Phillip Russell earned Ohio Valley Conference weekly honors on Jan. 3. Reed, Jr. won the OVC Player of the Week award for the first time in his career and Russell claimed his third Freshman of the Week accolade this season. A native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, opened OVC play with a pair of 20-point performances last week. He led SEMO with 20 points at Murray State (Dec. 30) and followed that up with a career-high 34 points two days later in the Redhawks New Year's Day win over Austin Peay (Jan. 1).  Reed, Jr. buried seven 3-pointers against the Governors in a game where his team made a season-high 17 treys. His 34 points are the most in a game by any player in the OVC so far this season. For the week, Reed, Jr. averaged 27 points and five rebounds per game, while shooting 56.7 percent (17-of-30) from the field, 75 percent (9-of-12) at the free throw line and 55 percent (11-of-20) from 3-point range. Russell, who hails from St. Louis, scored double figures in two starts a week ago. He averaged 17.5 points, four assists and one steal per contest. Russell also shot 92.8 percent (13-of-14) at the free throw line and 40 percent (6-of-15) from downtown. He scored 20 points vs. Austin Peay (Jan. 1) for his fourth game with 20 or more points this year. Additionally, Russell has scored double figures in seven-straight games and 13 of 15 starts in 2021-22. UT Martin guard KJ Simon won the league's Newcomer of the Week award to complete this week's honorees.

Reed, Jr. Goes Off
Guard Eric Reed, Jr. scored an Ohio Valley Conference single-game high 34 points to lead Southeast Missouri to its dominating 98-79 win over Austin Peay (Jan. 1). Reed, Jr. became just the second player in the OVC to score over 30 points in a game this year. Murray State's Tevin Brown scored 33 points vs. Chattanooga (Dec. 18) prior to Reed, Jr.'s performance. The 34 points rank third-most in a game during SEMO's NCAA Division I era.

Eruption from Three
Southeast Missouri erupted for a season-high 17 three-pointers against Austin Peay (Jan. 1). Only SEMO and Belmont (vs. Lipscomb, Dec. 2) have made 17 three-pointers in a game of the Ohio Valley Conference teams this season. The Redhawks shot a blazing 60.7 percent (17-of-28) from downtown with six different players making a three. Eric Reed, Jr. matched a career-best seven three-pointers and Phillip Russell buried five treys to lead the way. SEMO outscored the Governors, 24-3, from 3-point range in the first half alone.

100th Game 
Nygal Russell scored nine points and had four rebounds in the 100th game of his career vs. Austin Peay (Jan. 1). Russell shot 4-of-8 from the field in 24 minutes. He has played in 102 games and made 36 starts as the most experienced player on Southeast Missouri's roster.

Shooting 3s
Southeast Missouri is shooting an average of 25.2 three-pointers per game this season. SEMO attempted a season-high 32 three-pointers vs. Webster (Dec. 4). The Redhawks made a season-high 17 three-pointers vs. Austin Peay (Jan. 1) and buried 10 or more threes in six contests this year. For the season, the Redhawks are shooting 34.5 percent from three. SEMO drained an average of 12.5 threes in its last four games alone.

Every Game Starter
Phillip Russell is the only player who has started every game for the Redhawks this season. Russell enters the week as Southeast Missouri's second-leading scorer with 14.5 points a game. He has scored double figures in 14 of his starts and ranks ninth in the Ohio Valley Conference in scoring.

20-Point Games
Redhawk players have accounted for eleven 20-point scoring games this season. Eric Reed, Jr. scored 21 points at Missouri State (Nov. 9), 23 at Incarnate Word (Nov. 26), 26 vs. Webster (Dec. 4), 20 at Murray State (Dec. 31), 34 vs. Austin Peay (Jan. 1) and 22 at Belmont (Jan. 6), while Phillip Russell poured in 21 points vs. Montana State (Nov. 28), 24 vs. Evansville (Dec. 8),  25 at Pepperdine (Dec. 18), 20 vs. Austin Peay (Jan. 1) and 22 at Tennessee State (Jan. 8). Reed, Jr. has a team-high nine 20-point games in his career.

Starting Combinations
The Redhawks have used seven different starting combinations through 17 games this year. Phillip Russell, Nygal Russell, Dylan Branson, Sam Thompson and Eric Reed, Jr. marked the seventh lineup when they took the court at California Baptist (Dec. 21). 

Free Throw Difference
Opponents have shot 72 more free throws than Southeast Missouri through 17 games this year. As a result, opponents are outscoring the Redhawks by a +57 (320-263) margin at the charity stripe. 

About Tennessee State
Tennessee State recently ended a two-game losing streak with an 80-64 win over Tennessee Tech Monday. Carlos Marshall leads four TSU players with double figures in the scoring column this season. Marshall paves the way with 13.2 points per game, while Dedric Boyd (11.8), Marcus Fitzgerald (11.1) and Kassim Nicholson (11) follow. All four of those players scored double figures against Southeast Missouri on Jan. 8. The Tigers rank third in the OVC in scoring offense with 75.8 points per contest.