Morehead State (9-4) vs. Southeast Missouri (5-8, 1-0 OVC)

Game Information
Date: Sunday, December 31, 2023
Tip-Off: 3:15 p.m., CT
Location: Cape Girardeau, Mo.
Facility: Show Me Center (7,000)
Series: MSU leads, 36-21
Head Coaches: Brad Korn (49-59 Overall; 49-59 at SEMO; 28-28 OVC). Preston Spradlin (123-104 Overall; 123-104 at MSU; 73-53 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)

Redhawks Host Morehead State 
Southeast Missouri (5-8, 1-0) hosts Ohio Valley Conference preseason favorite Morehead State (9-4) on New Year's Eve Sunday. Tip-off is set for 3:15 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.

Window World Day
Sunday's matchup between Southeast Missouri and Morehead State is Window World Day. Window World has generously sponsored 2,000 free tickets for fans to claim online at SEMORedhawks.com/ WindowWorld.

Series History
Southeast Missouri and Morehead State meet for the 58th time Sunday. MSU holds a 36-21 lead in the all-time series. The Redhawks have won three of the last four meetings in the series. SEMO knocked the top-seeded Eagles out of the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament a year ago. Twelve of the Redhawks wins in the series have come at the Show Me Center. However, MSU left with a win in each of their previous three trips to Cape Girardeau.

Korn vs. Morehead State
Brad Korn is 3-5 against Morehead State as Southeast Missouri's head coach. All three of Korn's wins against the Eagles were outside Cape Girardeau. Korn's Redhawks beat MSU on the road each of the last two seasons and took down the Eagles in the semifinals of the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament at the Ford Center (Evansville, Ind.) in 2022-23. SEMO is 0-3 against MSU at the Show Me Center with Korn at the helm.

Happy New Year!
Southeast Missouri plays on New Year's Eve for the second-straight season. SEMO beat SIU Edwardsville, 82-73, on Dec. 31 at home during the 2022-23 campaign. The Redhawks are 3-4 all-time in New Year's Eve games during their NCAA Division I tenure (since 1991-92).

Korn Closing in on 50 Wins
A win Sunday will mark the 50th of Brad Korn's head coaching career. Korn is 49-59 overall and 28-28 in Ohio Valley Conference in his fourth year at the Southeast Missouri helm.

What a Game!!
Southeast Missouri started Ohio Valley Conference play with a thrilling 93-91 overtime victory over Southern Indiana (Dec. 29). SEMO led, 71-62, with 2:05 left to play in regulation when USI went on a 12-3 run down the stretch to send the game to overtime. Jack Champion made a desperation 3-pointer at the buzzer to tie the game at 74-74 after Rob Martin's two free throws gave the Redhawks a 74-71 lead. SEMO, which never trailed in overtime, edged the Screaming Eagles 19-17 during the extra period. Martin's jumper with 1.1 seconds left sealed the win.

Martin Puts on a Show
Rob Martin scored a career-high 29 points, dished out a career-best seven assists and buried a game-winning pullup jumper with 1.1 seconds left to key the Redhawks Ohio Valley Conference opening victory over Southern Indiana (Dec. 29). Martin shot 10-of-15 from the field, made two 3-pointers and hit 7-of-9 free throws. It was the second time he scored over 20 points this season in his first career OVC start.

Points Off Turnovers
The Redhawk defense forced 19 turnovers against Southern Indiana (Dec. 29), their most against a Division I opponent this season. Southeast Missouri scored a season-high 27 points off turnovers in that game. Aquan Smart had a huge block right before SEMO took a 74-71 lead with seven seconds left in regulation. Smart also scored 19 points as one of three Redhawks with double figures against the Screaming Eagles.

OVC Membership
The Redhawks are in 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 210-314 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)
SEMO also won its first OVC Tournament title in over two decades a year ago.

OVC Openers
With its 93-91 overtime win over Southern Indiana (Dec. 29), Southeast Missouri improved to 11-22 all-time in Ohio Valley Conference openers. SEMO ended a streak of six-straight OVC opening losses. The Redhawks last began league action with a win when they beat Eastern Kentucky on Dec. 31, 2016. It was Brad Korn's first victory in an OVC opener as head coach.

Lots of Free Throws
Southern Indiana and Southeast Missouri combined to shoot 67 free throws in their first Ohio Valley Conference matchup of the season on Dec. 29. USI made 26-of-33 and SEMO went 21-of-34 at the charity stripe. The Redhawks established new season-highs in both free throws made and free throws attempted. SEMO hit 10-of-13 free throws in the overtime period to nail down its 93-91 victory.

Home Winning Streak
Southeast Missouri is on a five-game home winning streak in 2023-24. SEMO is 5-1 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), Lindsey Wilson (87-59, Dec. 17) and Southern Indiana (93-91, OT, Dec. 29).

Four of Six
The Redhawks have won four of their six games in December. Southeast Missouri scored 80 or more points in all but one of its games this month.

League Action Underway
Southeast Missouri is one of four teams which posted victories to start Ohio Valley Conference play this season. SEMO, UT Martin, Little Rock and SIU Edwardsville are off to a 1-0 start after one league contest.

Three Average Double Figures
For the first time this season, Southeast Missouri has three players averaging double figures in the scoring column. Rob Martin leads the way with 11.8 points per game, while Adam Larson and Aquan Smart follow with 10.8 and 10.1 points per contest, respectively.

Top Redhawk
Rob Martin is Southeast Missouri's top scorer this season. Martin, who averages 11.8 points per game, has scored double-digits in six of his last eight starts. He leads the Redhawks in assists (48) and minutes played (30.3 mpg), as well.

3-Point Threat
Adam Larson ranks fifth in the Ohio Valley Conference in 3-point field goals made. Larson is shooting 44 percent on 33-of-75 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 seven games this season. He is also third 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 472 consecutive games. The last time SEMO did not make a 3-pointer was vs. Western Illinois (0-of-6) on Dec. 10, 2008.

About Morehead State
Morehead State visits Southeast Missouri for its first Ohio Valley Conference game of the season Sunday. MSU was voted the preseason favorite to win the OVC in 2023-24. The Eagles won seven of their last eight games with the only loss in that stretch coming by one point (69-68) at Big Ten Conference member Indiana (Dec. 19). MSU leads the OVC in scoring margin (+14.6), field goal percentage (.467), scoring defense (63.3 ppg allowed), field goal percentage defense (.367), 3-point field goal percentage defense (.280), rebounding defense (31.2 avg.), rebounding margin (+12.4), assists (16.3 apg), assist/turnover ratio (1.25) and 3-pointers made (9.7 per game). Nationally, the Eagles are fifth in field goal percentage defense and ninth in both rebounding margin and rebounds per game (43.7). Riley Minix leads MSU and ranks fourth in the OVC with 17.1 points per game. Drew Thelwell tops the league with 79 assists (6.1 per game) and a 2.7 assist/turnover ratio, while Kalil Thomas leads the conference with 2.85 three- pointers made.