SIU Edwardsville (11-8, 4-2 OVC) vs. Southeast Missouri (6-12, 1-4 OVC)

Game Information
Date: Saturday, January 20, 2024
Tip-Off: 3:45 p.m., CT
Location: Cape Girardeau, Mo.
Facility: Show Me Center (7,000)
Series: SEMO leads, 26-13
Head Coaches: Brad Korn (50-63 Overall; 50-63 at SEMO; 28-32 OVC). Brian Barone (58-82 Overall; 58-82 at SIUE; 30-49 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 SIU Edwardsville 
Southeast Missouri (6-12, 1-4) plays host to SIU Edwardsville (11-8, 4-2) Saturday. Tip-off is set for 3:45 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. Updates will be provided on X (formerly Twitter) @SEMOMBB.

Series History
Southeast Missouri and SIU Edwardsville meet for the 40th time on the front end of their home-and-home series this season. SEMO leads the all-time series 26-13. The Redhawks won six of the last seven games of the series and hold a 16-5 record against the Cougars at the Show Me Center.

Break is Over
The Redhawks face the Cougars following a week break in between games. Southeast Missouri was last in action at Tennessee Tech on Jan. 13. Classes resumed at SEMO for the spring semester Tuesday.

Final January Home Game
Saturday's matchup with SIU Edwardsville is Southeast Missouri's final home game in January. SEMO plays just three of its eight January games at home. After Saturday, the Redhawks hit the road for three in a row making stops at UT Martin (Jan. 25), Little Rock (Jan. 27) and Lindenwood (Jan. 30). The Lindenwood game will mark the halfway point of conference play.

Looking to Regroup
The Redhawks fell to their fourth-straight Ohio Valley Conference loss when they took a 70-59 defeat at Tennessee Tech (Jan. 13). Southeast Missouri also dropped an 83-64 decision to Morehead State (Dec. 31) at home, fell to Western Illinois (Jan. 4), 68-61, on the road and suffered a 74-68 home loss to Lindenwood (Jan. 11). WIU is now in sole possession of first place in the OVC standings. SEMO has lost four of its last five contests.

Last Time Out
Southeast Missouri was down two points in the second half when Tennessee Tech used a 9-0 run to pull off a 70-59 win on Jan. 13. SEMO went scoreless for a period of 5:26. The Golden Eagles outscored the Redhawks, 16-5, at the free throw line and made 16-of-19 at the charity stripe for the game.

Earley Burst
Josh Earley scored double figures and led the Redhawks in scoring during each of the last four games. Earley scored a career-high 20 points at Tennessee Tech (Jan. 13), 18 at Western Illinois (Jan. 4), 14 vs. Bethel (Jan. 6) and 16 against Lindenwood (Jan. 11). He is averaging 8.9 points a game as Southeast Missouri's fourth-leading scorer.

Eursher Earns First Career Start
Evan Eursher made his first career start at Tennessee Tech (Jan. 13). Eursher had three rebounds in 27 minutes against the Golden Eagles.

100th Career Game for Branson 
Saturday's game against SIU Edwardsville marks the 100th for Dylan Branson. Branson has played in 99 games and made 57 starts in his Southeast Missouri tenure.

Rebounding Advantage
The Redhawks outrebounded Tennessee Tech, 32-22 (+10), for its largest rebounding margin in Ohio Valley Conference play this season. Southeast Missouri was outrebounded in four-straight games prior to winning the battle of the boards against the Golden Eagles.

3-Point Threat
Adam Larson ranks sixth in the Ohio Valley Conference in 3-point field goals made. Larson is shooting 43.8 percent on 42-of-96 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 eight games this season. He made a 3-pointer in 11-straight contests.

Tale of Two Halves
Through 18 games, Southeast Missouri has been a better team in the second half than it has in the first. SEMO trailed by double figures in the first half a total of seven times and fell behind by 12 or more in the opening five minutes on three occasions. Opponents are outscoring the Redhawks, 672-575, in the first half. Meanwhile, SEMO won the second half eight times and holds a 656-654 advantage in the final 20 minutes. SEMO overcame a 12-point second half deficit to get its first win of the season vs. Central Arkansas (Nov. 20).

3-Pointer Streak
As a team, Southeast Missouri has made at least one 3-pointer in 477 consecutive games. The last time SEMO did not make a 3-pointer was vs. Western Illinois (0-of-6) on Dec. 10, 2008.

Free Throw Comparison
Opponents are shooting 24.8 free throws per game and hold a +6.6 advantage over Southeast Missouri's 18.2 free throw attempts per game this season. SEMO has been outscored at the free throw line, 304-221 (-83), through 18 games. The Redhawks are shooting 67.4 percent (221-of-328) at the charity stripe.

About SIU Edwardsville
SIU Edwardsville brings a three-game winning streak to Cape Girardeau this weekend. SIUE is third in the Ohio Valley Conference standings and handed OVC preseason favorite Morehead State its only conference loss. The Cougars are second in the league in 3-point field goal percentage with a 35.1 percent clip. SIUE has turned the ball over the least out of any team in the OVC. The Cougars average 10.4 turnovers per game. Shamar Wright is SIUE's leading scorer with 15.4 points per contest. Wright ranks eighth in the OVC in scoring. Meanwhile, Demarco Minor is currently the best free throw shooter in the conference. Minor is shooting 88.9 percent (64-of-72) at the free throw line. The Cougars picked up their first road win of the season at Lindenwood Thursday.