Redhawks Fall to Morehead State, 83-64, on New Year’s Eve - Southeast Missouri State University Athletics

Sunday, December 31

Cape Girardeau, Mo.

3:15 PM

Southeast Missouri State University

5-9,1-1OVC

Morehead State

10-4,1-0OVC

Team	1	2	F
Morehead St.	40	43	83
Southeast Mo. St.	33	31	64

Final Statistics Photos

12/31/2023 6:02:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Final Statistics

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Aquan Smart scored 17 points as Southeast Missouri (5-9, 1-1) fell to Morehead State (10-4, 1-0), 83-64, Sunday afternoon in a New Year's Eve matchup at the Show Me Center.

MSU became the first Ohio Valley Conference team to 10 wins this season behind a game-high 34 points from Riley Minix.

SEMO and MSU battled to eight ties and eight lead changes in the first half.

Rob Martin, who scored 10 first-half points, buried a 3-pointer and converted a 4-point play to get the Redhawks their first lead at 14-13 with 13:35 remaining in the opening stanza.

After Smart made two free throws to put SEMO up by one again (30-29), the Eagles went on a 7-0 run to take a six-point advantage. MSU never trailed the rest of the way.

Minix made a pair of free throws to cap that stretch giving MSU a 36-30 lead with 2:48 left. He then scored a layup to increase the Eagles lead to 40-33 at the intermission.

SEMO forced nine turnovers in the first half, including seven in the opening 8:44 of the contest.

MSU quickly ran its lead to double figures with the help of a 7-0 jaunt early in the second half.

Jordan Lathon drained a 3-pointer and closed the run with a step back jumper as the Eagles took a 47-35 lead with 17:41 to go.

SEMO cut MSU's lead in half when Braxton Stacker sunk two free throws to make it a 47-41 game at the 14:48 mark, but a Drew Thelwell 3-pointer and Minix layup pushed the Eagles lead back to double-digits (54-41).

Stacker's two free throws narrowed MSU's lead to nine at 56-47 with 10:27 left and that was the last time the Eagles let their lead go below double figures.

Minix at one time scored nine consecutive points to extend MSU's margin to 68-50 before MSU polished off its first conference victory.

Smart scored nine of his team-high 17 points at the free throw line and finished with double figures for the seventh time this season.

Martin and Adam Larson followed with 14 and 11 points, respectively.

Minix missed just three field goals (11-of-14) and one free throw (10-of-11) and grabbed eight rebounds during his career-high effort.

MSU, which leads the OVC in 3-pointers made, drained nine for the game. The Eagles outscored the Redhawks, 27-12, from long range. MSU shot just under 50 percent (49.1) from the field and outrebounded SEMO, 35-20.

Lathon added 20 points for the Eagles.

SEMO travels to first-year OVC member Western Illinois on Jan. 4.