#19 Murray State (27-2, 17-0 OVC) vs. Southeast Missouri (13-16, 8-8 OVC) 

Game Information
Date: Saturday, February 26, 2022
Tip-Off: 4 p.m., CT
Location: Cape Girardeau, Mo.
Facility: Show Me Center (7,000)
Series: MSU leads, 63-21
Last Meeting: MSU 106, SEMO 81(Dec. 30, 2021 | Murray, Ky.)
Head Coaches: Brad Korn (24-32 overall, 24-32 at SEMO; 17-19 OVC). Matt McMahon (150-66 overall; 150-66 at MSU.

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 #19 Murray State in Regular-Season Finale
Southeast Missouri (13-16, 8-8) plays host to Ohio Valley Conference regular-season champion and #19 Murray State (27-2, 17-0) in its regular-season finale 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.

Series History
Southeast Missouri and Murray State meet for the 85th time Saturday. MSU leads the all-time series by a count of 63-21. The Racers have won nine-straight against the Redhawks. SEMO last beat MSU on Feb. 23, 2017 by a score of 82-69. That game was at the Show Me Center. The Racers have won 17 in a row and are a perfect 17-0 in Ohio Valley Conference play.

Back in the OVC Tournament
The Redhawks are in next week's Ohio Valley Conference Tournament. Southeast Missouri makes back-to-back OVC Tournament appearances for the first time since 2013-14 and 2014-15. Seven teams have locked up their OVC Tournament spots entering the final day of the regular-season. Murray State, Belmont, Morehead State, Tennessee State, Tennessee Tech and Austin Peay are also in. SEMO is currently fourth in the OVC. Murray State will be the No. 1 seed and the final seeding will be determined following Saturday's action.

Positioning for the Four
Southeast Missouri is in a good position for the No. 4 seed in next week's Ohio Valley Conference Tournament. SEMO will clinch the four-seed with a win or Tennessee State loss to Belmont. The Redhawks will be the No. 5 seed if they lose to Murray State and TSU beats Belmont. SEMO has never been a four-seed in its OVC Tournament history. In fact, the highest seed the Redhawks achieved was No. 2 in both the 1999 and 2000 tournaments. If SEMO is the four-seed, it will be the Redhawks highest OVC Tournament seed in 22 years.

Senior Farewell
The Redhawks will honor guard Nygal Russell and forward Manny Patterson during their Senior Day festivities prior to tip-off Saturday. Russell has played in 114 games in his four-year SEMO career and Patterson has played in 50 games during his two seasons as a Redhawk.

Redhawks vs. Ranked Teams
Southeast Missouri is 0-15 all-time against ranked teams in its NCAA Division I history. This year marks the third where the Redhawks face a ranked Murray State team. SEMO fell to MSU when it was ranked #9 (81-73, Feb. 2, in Murray, Kentucky) and #14 (75-66, Feb. 15, in Cape Girardeau) during the 2011-12 season. Here is a list of SEMO's results against ranked teams.
at #21 Cincinnati (12/11/92)    L, 58-83
at #6 Missouri (2/23/94)    .L, 61-83
at #21 Illinois (12/8/95)    L, 70-89
vs. #6 Cincinnati (1/7/97)    L, 57-80
vs. #10 LSU* (3/16/00)    L, 61-64
at #20 Creighton (12/29/02)    L, 70-93
at #6 Illinois (12/28/05)    L, 64-89
at #25 Missouri (11/11/11)    L, 68-83
at #9 Murray State (2/2/12)    L, 73-81
vs. #14 Murray State (2/15/12)    L, 66-75
at #7 Kansas (11/9/12)    L, 55-74
at #11 Missouri (12/4/12)    L, 65-81
at #10 Indiana (12/4/16)    L, 55-83
at #10 Florida State (12/17/18)    L, 68-85
at #5 Ohio State (12/17/19)    L, 48-80
* - NCAA Tournament

Reed, Jr. Nabs Second OVC Player of the Week Honor
Guard Eric Reed, Jr. secured Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Week honors after a massive two games during Southeast Missouri's final road swing of the season. A native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Reed, Jr. averaged 31.5 points in two starts last week. He opened the week with a career-high 35 points at Tennessee Tech (Feb. 17), his second 30-point effort this season. Two days later, Reed, Jr. dropped in 28 points to lead the Redhawks to a 92-84 win at Morehead State (Feb. 19). For the week, Reed, Jr. shot 46.2 percent (18-of-39) from the field and 44.4 percent (8-of-18) from 3-point range. He also made 86.4 percent (19-of-22) of his free throws and dished out four assists per contest. Reed, Jr. claimed his second OVC Player of the Week honor after winning the award on Jan. 3. TTU's John Pettway (Newcomer of the Week) and Belmont's Will Richard (Freshman of the Week) rounded out the week's honorees.

Two in a Row Again
The Redhawks carry a two-game winning streak into their series finale against Murray State Saturday. Southeast Missouri upended Morehead State, 92-84, on the road Feb. 19 and beat UT Martin, 76-69, at home on Feb. 24. It is the fifth time this season where SEMO has put together back-to-back victories. 

Reed, Jr. is Rolling
Reigning Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Week Eric Reed, Jr. has been on a tear as of late. Reed, Jr. has averaged 28 points per game over his last three starts alone. He scored a career-high 35 points at Tennessee Tech (Feb. 17), 28 at Morehead State (Feb. 19) and 21 vs. UT Martin (Feb. 24) during that stretch. Reed, Jr. increased his scoring average to a team-high 16.3 points per contest.

Awesome Matchup Ahead
Saturday's matchup will feature the Ohio Valley Conference's top two scorers in league games this season. Murray State's KJ Williams leads the OVC with 19.2 points per game against league foes, while Southeast Missouri's Eric Reed, Jr. follows with 17.9. SEMO boasts the top scoring offense (78.6 ppg) in OVC games, while MSU has the best scoring defense (58.6 ppg allowed).

Big Road Win
The Redhawks snapped a three-game losing streak with a big 92-84 road win at Morehead State (Feb. 19). Southeast Missouri's 92 points are the most scored against MSU by any opponent this season. The Eagles boast the Ohio Valley Conference's second-best scoring defense allowing just 64 points a game. SEMO also dealt MSU only its second loss at home, where it is 12-2. 

13th Win
Southeast Missouri picked up its 13th win of the season when it beat UT Martin, 76-69, on Feb. 24. The Redhawks surpassed their win total by a +2 margin from 2020-21 (11-16). 

Reed, Jr. Cracks SEMO's Top-10 Career Leaders in 3-Pointers Made
Eric Reed, Jr. moved to 10th among Southeast Missouri's all-time career leaders in 3-pointers made following his 28-point effort at Morehead State (Feb. 19). Reed, Jr. now has 123 three-pointers as a Redhawk and surpassed Denzel Mahoney (121, 2016-18) for the 10th-place spot. With 62 threes this season, Reed, Jr. stands just five away from tying Cory Johnson (67, 1998-99) for 10th on the school's all-time single season list, as well.

Redhawks Bury 15 Threes at Morehead State
Southeast Missouri shot 50 percent or better from the 3-point line for the second time this season when it drained 15-of-30 at Morehead State (Feb. 19). SEMO has made 252 threes through 29 games. SEMO's team single-season record in 3-pointers made presently stands at 289 (2017-18).

Home Sweet Home
The Redhawks are 8-2 in their last 10 games at the Show Me Center. Southeast Missouri is averaging 76.1 points per game on its homecourt with Eric Reed, Jr. paving the way scoring 17.7 points per game in Cape Girardeau. Overall, SEMO is 8-4 at home. The eight wins are the Redhawks most home victories in a season in five years (10-4, 2016-17).

Patterson Steps Up
Manny Patterson is playing his best basketball to date. Patterson scored double figures in three of his last four starts, including a season-high 20 points on back-to-back occasions vs. Belmont (Feb. 12) and at Tennessee Tech (Feb. 17). He also had 10 rebounds for his first career double-double against the Golden Eagles. 

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. Nana Akenten, who did not play for the same reason at SIUE (Feb. 7) and Austin Peay (Feb. 10), returned vs. Belmont (Feb. 12). Meanwhile, Chris Harris, who missed the last three games due to COVID protocols, was back at Tennessee Tech on Feb. 17. SEMO has its full roster of 12 available players intact. 

First Career Double-Double for Patterson
Manny Patterson matched a season-high 20 points and pulled down 10 rebounds for his first career double-double as a Redhawk at Tennessee Tech (Feb. 17). Patterson shot 8-of-13 from the field and did not miss a free throw (4-of-4). His 10 rebounds marked a career-best. Patterson's double-double came five days after he scored a season-high 20 points vs. Belmont (Feb. 12).

Make That Five
Southeast Missouri point guard Phillip Russell was a unanimous pick for Ohio Valley Conference Freshman of the Week on Feb. 14. A redshirt-freshman, Russell garnered his league-high fifth OVC Freshman of the Week accolade this season. Russell, who hails from St. Louis, averaged 23 points, five rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.7 steals in three starts last week. He opened SEMO's three-game week with 35 points, 10 rebounds and five steals during a 76-47 road win at SIU Edwardsville (Feb. 7), a game which the Redhawks played with only seven players due to COVID protocols. He broke SEMO's single-game scoring record by a freshman in the Redhawks NCAA Division I era and became only the second Division I freshman in the last 25 years to get 35+ points, 10+ rebounds and 5+ steals in a game. Russell completed his week with 18 points at Austin Peay (Feb. 10) and 16 points vs. Belmont (Feb. 12). He has scored double figures in 18 of his 24 starts. Russell also shot 88.5 percent (23-of-26) at the free throw line. Additionally, his 35 points at SIUE are tied for second-most by a first-year player in 2021-22 behind Omaha's Frankie Fidler (37, vs. North Dakota). Murray State's KJ Williams (Player of the Week) and SIUE's DeeJuan Pruitt (Newcomer of the Week) rounded out the week's honorees. 

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).

Putting Up the Points
Southeast Missouri has scored over 80 points in eight of its 16 Ohio Valley Conference games. As a result, SEMO ranks second in the league with 78.6 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 9.6 three-pointers made in Ohio Valley Conference games. SEMO buried 154 three-pointers in 16 conference matchups. The Redhawks made a season-high 17 three-pointers vs. Austin Peay (Jan. 1) and have drained 12 or more in six of their OVC contests. SEMO is first in 3-point shooting during OVC play with a 36.2 percent (154-of-426) clip.

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 73.9 percent (459-of-621) at the line through 29 games. SEMO is shooting 21 free throws per game. Most recently, the Redhawks outscored UT Martin, 25-7, at the charity stripe on Feb. 24. 

Shooting 3s
Southeast Missouri is shooting an average of 25.2 three-pointers per game this season. SEMO attempted a season-high 35 three-pointers at Murray State (Dec. 30) and at Eastern Illinois (Jan. 22). The Redhawks made a season-high 17 three-pointers vs. Austin Peay (Jan. 1) and buried 10 or more threes in 10 contests this year. For the season, the Redhawks are shooting 34.5 percent from three. SEMO drained an average of 9.6 in its 16 Ohio Valley Conference games.

Starting Combinations
The Redhawks have used nine different starting combinations through 29 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 51 more free throws than Southeast Missouri through 29 games this year. As a result, opponents are outscoring the Redhawks by a +36 (495-459) margin at the charity stripe. 

Balanced Attack
Three or more players have scored double figures for Southeast Missouri a total of 26 times this season. SEMO is 12-14 when at least three of its players reach double figures in the scoring column.