Belmont (21-5, 11-2 OVC) vs. Southeast Missouri (11-14, 6-6 OVC)

Game Information
Date: Saturday, February 12, 2022
Tip-Off: 4 p.m., CT
Location: Cape Girardeau, Mo.
Facility: Show Me Center (7,000)
Series: BU leads, 11-0
Last Meeting: BU 102, SEMO 62 (Jan. 6, 2022 | Nashville, Tenn.) 
Head Coaches: Brad Korn (22-30 overall, 22-30 at SEMO; 15-17 OVC). Casey Alexander (208-135 overall; 73-16 at BU).

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 Belmont Saturday
Southeast Missouri (11-14, 6-6) plays host to Belmont (21-5, 11-2) Saturday. Tip-off is set for 4 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+. Live stats are available at SEMORedhawks.com. Twitter updates provided @SEMOMBB.

Equality & Inclusion Night
On Saturday, Southeast Missouri will participate in the Equality & Inclusion Night campaign presented by the Rising Coaches Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Alliance. The purpose of this national campaign throughout college basketball is to keep the fight for Equality in the national spotlight. SEMO will wear all black uniforms and its coaches will also wear black along with special lapel pins against Belmont. Former Redhawk assistant basketball coach Adam Gordon is the Co-Founder and CEO of the Rising Coaches organization.

Series History
Belmont is the only team Southeast Missouri has never beaten in its Ohio ValleyConference history. The Redhawks are 0-11 all-time against the Bruins and that record includes a 0-5 mark at the Show Me Center. BU won 10 of the 11 matchups by double-digits. The only game the Bruins did not win by 10 or more points was on Jan. 1, 2015 (78-77 in Nashville). BU gave SEMO its largest loss of the season (102-62) on Jan. 6.

Five of Eight
Southeast Missouri won five of its last eight contests. SEMO's losses in that stretch were a one-point (74-73) overtime setback against Morehead State (Jan. 27), an 84-63 defeat at UT Martin (Feb. 3) and a 74-66 loss at Austin Peay (Feb. 10). The Redhawks beat Tennessee State (85-63, Jan. 20), SIU Edwardsville (85-77, Jan. 19) and Eastern Illinois (63-56, Feb. 5) at home, and Eastern Illinois (85-77, Jan. 22) and SIU Edwardsville (76-47, Feb. 7) on the road. SEMO wrapped up January with a 4-3 record, its first winning record in January since 2016-17 (5-3). The Redhawks are 2-2 in February.

Home Cooking
The Redhawks are 7-1 in their last eight matchups at the Show Me Center. Overall, Southeast Missouri is 7-3 on its homecourt this year. The only loss in that stretch was a one-point 74-73 overtime setback against Morehead State (Jan. 27). A win Saturday will give SEMO its most home victories in a season since it went 10-4 in 2016-17.

11th Win
The Redhawks picked up their 11th win of the season when they beat SIU Edwardsville, 76-47, on Feb. 7. Southeast Missouri matched its win total in 2020-21 (11-16). SEMO is also fourth in the Ohio Valley Conference standings with a 6-5 mark. The Redhawks are working to secure their first winning record in OVC play since 2016-17 (9-7).  Additionally, SEMO has not finished a season any higher than fifth in the league standings in 22 years. The Redhawks have five conference games remaining.

Status Update
Eric Reed, Jr. and DQ Nicholas, who missed Southeast Missouri's game at SIU Edwardsville (Feb. 7) due to COVID protocols, returned at Austin Peay (Feb. 10). Nicholas scored 12 points off the bench in 25 minutes, while Reed, Jr. played 29 minutes off the bench in that game. SEMO has nine available players entering Saturday's matchup with Belmont. 

Redhawks Fall at Austin Peay
The Redhawks split their season series with Austin Peay when they fell, 74-66, in Clarksville, Tennessee Thursday. Southeast Missouri never led in the game and missed 11 free throws. APSU also outscored SEMO, 36-15, from 3-point range. Phillip Russell, who scored 14 points in the second half, led the Redhawks with 18.

Depleted Redhawks Crush SIUE
Hours before Southeast Missouri left for its trip to SIU Edwardsville (Feb. 7), four of the Redhawks top six scorers (Eric Reed, Jr., Chris Harris, DQ Nicholas, Nana Akenten) were ruled out due to COVID protocols. As a result, SEMO won that game by a score of 76-47 with only seven players. The 29-point victory matched the Redhawks largest win in an Ohio Valley Conference road contest.

What a Show!
Redshirt-freshman point guard Phillip Russell broke a single-game record by freshman during Southeast Missouri's NCAA Division I era when he scored 35 points at SIU Edwardsville (Feb. 7). Russell, who hails from St. Louis, also grabbed 10 rebounds, dished out four assists and had five steals. He is only the second Division I freshman in the last 25 years to get 35+ points, 10+ rebounds and 5+ steals in a game. The other was Ben Simmons (LSU, Dec. 2, 2015).

Thompson Starts
Freshman Chase Thompson started each of the last two games. Thompson was inserted into the starting lineup for his first career start when Southeast Missouri had only seven players at SIU Edwardsville (Feb. 7). He scored a season-high 10 points and had five rebounds in a season-best 35 minutes  against the Cougars. Three days later, Thompson scored seven points and grabbed three boards at Austin Peay (Feb. 10).

Last Time vs. Belmont
Eric Reed, Jr. scored 22 points to lead Southeast Missouri in its first meeting with Belmont, a 102-62 loss at the Curb Event Center on Jan. 6. After DQ Nicholas made a layup to put SEMO ahead, 23-21, the Bruins responded with a 16-0 run and never looked back. BU shot 60 percent (42-of-70) and outrebounded SEMO, 41-29.

Mr. Double-Double
Nygal Russell posted his team-high third double-double when he scored 11 points and pulled down 13 rebounds at Austin Peay (Feb. 10). Russell finished with double-digit rebounds for the fifth time this season. He leads the Redhawks and ranks fourth in the Ohio Valley Conference with 6.8 rebounds a game.

Putting Up the Points
Southeast Missouri has scored over 80 points in seven of its 11 Ohio Valley Conference games. As a result, SEMO ranks third in the league with 76.9 points per game against OVC foes. The Redhawks put up a season-best 98 points in conference play during their victory over Austin Peay (98-79, Jan. 1).

Redhawks for Three!
Southeast Missouri is averaging a league-best 9.8 three-pointers made in Ohio Valley Conference games. SEMO buried 117 three-pointers in 12 conference matchups. The Redhawks made a season-high 17 three-pointers vs. Austin Peay (Jan. 1) and have drained 12 or more in four of their OVC contests. SEMO is second in 3-point shooting during OVC play with a 36.2 percent (117-of-323) clip.

COVID Protocols
Southeast Missouri's home game with TTU (initially scheduled on Jan. 13) 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. 

Over 600
DQ Nicholas cleared 600 points in his career with his 12-point effort against Morehead State (Jan. 27). Nicholas now has 636 points as a Redhawk. Eric Reed, Jr. also went over 600 points when he dropped in 18 vs. SIU Edwardsville (Jan. 29). Reed, Jr. has 640 points at SEMO. Meanwhile, Nygal Russell has 640 points.

Doing the Dishes
Redshirt-freshman Phillip Russell dished out a season-high eight assists at Eastern Illinois (Jan. 22). Russell averaged 5.5 assists in his last five starts. He leads Southeast Missouri with 69 assists and ranks 13th in the Ohio Valley Conference in that category. Russell had six or more assists in a game three times this season.

Redhawks Second in the OVC in Free Throw Percentage
Southeast Missouri ranks second in the Ohio Valley Conference in free throw percentage. SEMO is shooting 72.8 percent (390-of-536) at the line through 25 games. SEMO is shooting over 21.4 free throws per game. 

20-Point Games
Redhawk players have accounted for fourteen 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), 22 at Belmont (Jan. 6) and 21 vs. Eastern Illinois (Feb. 5), while Phillip Russell poured in 35 at SIU Edwardsville (Feb 7),  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). Chris Harris dropped in 22 points vs. Morehead State (Jan. 27). Reed, Jr. has a team-high ten 20-point games in his career.

Starting Combinations
The Redhawks have used nine different starting combinations through 24 games this year. Chase Thompson, Nygal Russell, Dylan Branson, Manny Patterson and Phillip Russell marked the ninth lineup when they took the court at SIU Edwardsville (Feb. 7). 

Free Throw Difference
Opponents have shot 52 more free throws than Southeast Missouri through 25 games this year. As a result, opponents are outscoring the Redhawks by a +44 (434-390) margin at the charity stripe.