MOREHEAD, Ky. – Phillip Russell tied the Southeast Missouri (9-10, 4-2) NCAA Division I single-game scoring record with 37 points to fuel a high-scoring 91-86 comeback win over Ohio Valley Conference preseason favorite Morehead State (10-9, 3-3) Saturday.
 
Russell scored 22 points in the first half and another 15 in the second to send SEMO to its third-straight victory. The Redhawks, who matched their season-long three-game winning streak, posted back-to-back wins in Morehead for the first time since 1999-2000 and 2000-01.
 
SEMO battled back from an 11-point deficit to tie the game at 83-83 on a 3-pointer by Russell with 1:55 to go.
 
Russell's fifth 3-pointer of the game gave the momentum to the Redhawks who then scored eight of the final 11 points to take down the Eagles.
 
After MSU took a 86-85 lead on two free throws by Mark Freeman with less than a minute, Chris Harris nailed a huge 3-pointer and SEMO didn't look back. Harris' 3-pointer came after Israel Barnes rebounded a missed jumper by Russell.
 
Russell (1) and Harris (2) combined for three free throws the rest of the way to put the finishing touches on the nice road win.
 
SEMO withstood a 17-4 MSU run early in the second half.
 
Russell's huge first half saw him miss only once during his opening 18 minutes on the court. He made 8-of-9 field goals and sunk a perfect 4-of-4 threes
 
SEMO fell behind by nine points (36-27) with 5:10 remaining and made it a two-possession game when Dylan Branson scored, was fouled and converted a 3-point play.
 
Harris later made two free throws to get the Redhawks within three before Russell made a jumper to cut MSU's lead to three again, 44-41, at the 1:57 mark.
 
Russell scored a layup with 15 seconds on the clock to close MSU's lead to 49-47 at halftime.
 
Both teams were on fire in the first half. SEMO shot a blistering 63 percent (17-of-27) from the field, while MSU hit 58.6 percent (17-of-29) of its shots in the opening 20 minutes.
 
For the game, SEMO shot 58 percent (31-of-53), its best field goal percentage on the road this year.
 
Russell, who surpassed 30 points in a game for the second time in his career, shot 11-of-20 from the field, 5-of-9 from downtown and a near-perfect 10-of-11 at the free throw line. His 37 points tied Tyler Stone (37, at SIUE, Feb. 6, 2014) for the program's NCAA Division I single-game record. Russell had six assists, as well.
 
Harris matched his career-high of 23 points, while Nate Johnson added 10 points.
 
MSU was led by Freeman's 26 points. The Eagles did not make a field goal for the last 3:34 of the game.
 
SEMO returns to Cape Girardeau for a three-game homestand beginning Jan. 19 vs. UT Martin. For tickets, call (573) 651-2113 or visit online SEMORedhawks.com/Tickets.