CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Phillip Russell scored 19 points and Dylan Branson added a career-high 14 to lead Southeast Missouri (6-9, 1-1) to an 82-73 win over Ohio Valley Conference leader SIU Edwardsville (10-5, 1-1) Saturday in a New Year's Eve matchup at the Show Me Center.
 
SEMO, which led the entire 40 minutes, snapped an eight-game losing streak and picked up its first December win on the final day of 2022.
 
Nate Johnson gave SEMO a nice boost early as the Redhawks built a seven-point lead in the first 8:36 of the contest. Johnson scored the first points on a layup and followed that up with another layup and a one-handed dunk.
 
Ahead 9-7 after Johnson's dunk, the Redhawks scored the next five points capped by a Phillip Russell 3-pointer to widen their lead to 14-7 with 13:36 remaining.
 
After Israel Barnes' free throw gave SEMO a 21-14 advantage, SIUE scored seven of the next nine points to pull within two.
 
Ray'sean Taylor's 3-pointer followed by a pair of Lamar Wright free throws capped the Cougars' seven-point stretch that made it a 23-21 game with 6:23 to go.
 
A fastbreak layup by Dylan Branson and 3-pointer by Adam Larson with the shot clock expiring gave SEMO a six-point lead on both occasions.
 
Larson later drained his second 3-pointer before Johnson added a free throw to give SEMO a 34-26 lead, its biggest of the first half. 
 
SIUE quickly countered with back-to-back 3-pointers, including one by Shamar Wright and one by Taylor to close SEMO's lead to 34-32.
 
SEMO then headed into the intermission with a 37-32 advantage. 
 
SEMO continued to go at the Cougars in the second half and pushed its lead to double figures for the first time when Chris Harris splashed in a 3-pointer. Harris' three gave the Redhawks a 44-34 lead with 17:49 to go.
 
SIUE managed to narrow SEMO's margin to 48-44, however, the Redhawks used a 10-4 run to regain a double-digit lead. Larson threw down a dunk off a Cougar turnover to finish off the jaunt as SEMO upped its lead to 58-48.
 
Once Branson drained a 3-pointer to put SEMO ahead, 65-55, SIUE didn't get any closer than four the rest of the way.
 
SEMO played just its second game with all 13 of its available players. Prior to Thursday, the Redhawks did not have a full roster for their first 12 contests.
 
Russell, who was limited to just six points two days ago at Southern Indiana, bounced back to score a team-high 19 against the Cougars. He shot 6-of-15 from the field and made a perfect 6-of-6 free throws.
 
Branson and Harris followed with 14 points apiece and Josh Earley contributed 12 off the bench. Kobe Clark paved the way with 10 rebounds, his fifth double-digit rebound game this season.
 
All nine Redhawks who played got in the scoring column in SEMO's balanced effort.
 
SEMO shot 48.2 percent (27-of-56) from the field and turned the ball over just eight times. The Redhawks finished with six steals, three of which were on SIUE's final possessions of the game.
 
Taylor topped SIUE with a game-high 23 points.
 
SEMO beat SIUE for the sixth-straight time in the overall series between the teams.
 
The Redhawks return to action when they visit UT Martin on Jan. 5.