Southern Indiana (3-10) vs. Southeast Missouri (4-8)

Game Information
Date: Friday, December 29, 2023
Tip-Off: 7:30 p.m., CT
Location: Cape Girardeau, Mo.
Facility: Show Me Center (7,000)
Series: SEMO leads, 2-1
Head Coaches: Brad Korn (48-59 Overall; 48-59 at SEMO; 27-28 OVC). Stan Gouard (277-157 Overall; 49-40 at USI; 9-9 OVC).

Follow the Redhawks
Radio: Real Rock 99.3 FM (Erik Sean)
Video: ESPN+ 
Live Stats: SEMORedhawks.com
Twitter: @SEMOMBB
Game Notes: Southeast Missouri (PDF)

Time for OVC Play
Southeast Missouri (4-8) opens Ohio Valley Conference play when it hosts Southern Indiana (3-10) Friday. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m., CT at the Show Me Center.

Follow the Redhawks
Fans can listen live on the radio at Real Rock 99.3 FM. Erik Sean will be on the call. Video can be accessed online at ESPN+. Live stats are available at SEMORedhawks.com. Updates will be provided on X (formerly Twitter) @SEMOMBB.

Canned Food Drive
Join the Southeast Missouri basketball teams as they fight hunger throughout this holiday season. For SEMO's Ohio Valley Conference opening doubleheader against Southern Indiana, fans can donate canned food items at the Show Me Center Box Office on game day to receive $6 tickets to those games. One ticket will be given for each canned item donated.

Series History
Southeast Missouri and Southern Indiana meet for the fourth time on the front end of their home-and-home series in 2023-24. SEMO holds a 2-1 edge in the series. The Redhawks split two games with USI last season, the Screaming Eagles' first year in the Ohio Valley Conference. Both of those matchups were decided by five points with USI beating SEMO, 86-81, in Evansville and the Redhawks defeating the Screaming Eagles, 85-80, in Cape Girardeau.

OVC Membership
The Redhawks begin their 33rd year as a member of the Ohio Valley Conference. Southeast Missouri first joined the OVC when it moved to the Division I level in 1991-92. SEMO holds an all-time record of 209-314 in league games and has put together winning seasons in OVC play a total of eight times. The Redhawks finished fifth in the OVC with a 10-8 record in 2022-23. The 10 conference wins were SEMO's most since 1999-2000 (14-4). The Redhawks also won their first OVC Tournament title in over two decades a year ago.

OVC Openers
Southeast Missouri is 10-22 all-time in Ohio Valley Conference openers. SEMO is looking to snap a streak of six-straight OVC opening losses when it takes the court against Southern Indiana. The Redhawks last began league action with a win when they beat Eastern Kentucky on Dec. 31, 2016. SEMO is 0-3 in OVC openers under Head Coach Brad Korn.

Preseason OVC Rankings
Southeast Missouri and Southern Indiana were picked fifth and ninth, respectively, in the 2023-24 Ohio Valley Conference Preseason Poll. SEMO collected 124 points and USI tallied 63 in the overall voting. Morehead State was tabbed this year's preseason favorite, while SIU Edwardsville Tennessee State and UT Martin were also picked ahead of SEMO.

Back to Work
The Redhawks are back in action following an eight-day break for the Christmas holiday. Southeast Missouri will close out the month of December at home when it hosts Southern Indiana (Dec. 29) and Ohio Valley Conference preseason favorite Morehead State (Dec. 31).

Home Winning Streak
Southeast Missouri is on a four-game home winning streak in 2023-24. SEMO is 4-1 at the Show Me Center with victories over Central Arkansas (70-68, Nov. 20), Missouri Baptist (84-56, Dec. 3), Harris-Stowe (95-45, Dec 6) and Lindsey Wilson (87-59, Dec. 17).

Three of Five
The Redhawks have won three of their five games in December. All three of Southeast Missouri's December victories came against non-Division I teams (Missouri Baptist, Harris-Stowe, Lindsey Wilson). SEMO scored 80 or more points in all but one of its games this month.

Last Time Out
Southeast Missouri dropped an 85-64 road decision to Missouri Valley Conference member Illinois State (Dec. 21). SEMO held a six-point lead before ISU used a 30-10 run in the final 10:27 of the first half to take control. The Redbirds never lost the lead from that point on. Adam Larson scored 16 points and Braxton Stacker followed with 11 to lead SEMO.

Where They Stand
The Redhawks (4-8) and Screaming Eagles (3-10) start Ohio Valley Conference play at 10th and 11th in the league standings, respectively. Southern Indiana has 10 losses, most in the OVC thus far. USI does not have a win against a Division I school this year.

Second in Scoring
Rob Martin is Southeast Missouri's second- leading scorer this season. Martin, who averages 10.3 points per game, has scored double-digits in five of his last seven starts. He leads the Redhawks in assists (41) and minutes played (29.8 mpg), as well.

Hanback On Target
Reserve center Mason Hanback is shooting 75 percent from the field in 10 games off the bench this year. Hanback is 15-of-20 from the floor and has scored in eight-straight games for the Redhawks.

Top Scorers
Adam Larson and Rob Martin enter Friday's game as Southeast Missouri's two players averaging double figures in scoring. Larson averages 10.8 points per game and Larson follows close behind with 10.3. Aquan Smart is the next closest to double figures with 9.3 points per contest.

Martin Fifth in OVC in Assist/Turnover Ratio 
Rob Martin ranks fifth in the Ohio Valley Conference in assist/turnover ratio. Martin leads the Redhawks with 41 assists and has turned the ball over 28 times for a 1.5 ratio. He dished out a season-high five assists on four occasions this year.

Larson Plays Strong
Adam Larson is the Redhawks leading scorer with 10.8 points per game through 12 contests. Larson scored a career-high 22 points and made a career-best six 3-pointers vs. Evansville (Nov. 25). A day later, he led the Redhawks with 13 points and hit four more threes at Chattanooga (Nov. 26). Larson started nine-straight games and leads the team with seven double-digit scoring performances.

3-Point Threat
Adam Larson ranks tied for fifth in the Ohio Valley Conference in 3-point field goals made. Larson is shooting 44.1 percent on 30-of-68 from beyond the arc. He made 10 of those 3-pointers in two games at the Coke Zero Sugar Classic (Nov. 25-26). Larson buried a career-high six treys vs. Evansville (Nov. 25), falling just three shy of tying his program's single-game record in made threes. Larson drained three or more 3-pointers in six games this season. He is also tied for second in the OVC in 3-point field goal percentage.

3-Pointer Streak
As a team, Southeast Missouri has made at least one 3-pointer in 471 consecutive games. The last time SEMO did not make a 3-pointer was vs. Western Illinois (0-of-6) on Dec. 10, 2008.

About Southern Indiana
At 3-10 this season, Southern Indiana has the most losses of any team in the Ohio Valley Conference. All three of USI's wins have come against non-Division I opponents. The Screaming Eagles are last in the OVC in scoring (64.9 ppg) and field goal percentage (.401). Jeremiah Hernandez leads USI with 12.5 points a game, while AJ Smith is the Screaming Eagles' other double-digit scorer with 11.6 per contest. USI is coming off a 31-point road loss (81-50) at Southern Illinois.