Southeast Missouri (5-9, 1-1 OVC) at Western Illinois (8-6, 1-0 OVC)

Game Information
Date: Thursday, January 4, 2024
Tip-Off: 7:30 p.m., CT
Location: Macomb, Ill.
Facility: Western Hall (5,139)
Series: Tied, 6-6
Head Coaches: Brad Korn (49-60 Overall; 49-60 at SEMO; 28-29 OVC). Chad Boudreau (8-6 Overall; 8-6 at WIU; 1-0 OVC).

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

Redhawks Head to Western Illinois 
Southeast Missouri (5-9, 1-1) travels to Western Illinois (8-6, 1-0) for its first road game in Ohio Valley Conference play Thursday. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m., CT at Western Hall.

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 GoLeathernecks.com. Updates will be provided on X (formerly Twitter) @SEMOMBB.

Series History
The all-time series between Southeast Missouri and Western Illinois is deadlocked at 6-6. SEMO and WIU last faced each other in a non conference game on Dec. 1, 2018. The Leathernecks won that contest by a score of 70-63 in Cape Girardeau. This year marks the Redhawks first trip to Macomb, Illinois in seven years. SEMO beat WIU, 74-71, the last time they played there on Nov. 16, 2016. The Redhawks are 2-4 all-time against the Leathernecks in Macomb.

Newest Member of the OVC
Western Illinois officially became a member of the Ohio Valley Conference on July 1, 2023. WIU sponsors 17 of the OVC's championship sports. All of the Leatherneck teams are competing in the OVC during their first season with the conference in 2023-24. Meanwhile, WIU's football team will join the OVC in 2024. The Leathernecks are the 25th full-time member in the OVC's 75-year history.

Korn vs. Western Illinois
Thursday marks the first time Brad Korn faces Western Illinois as a head coach. Korn holds a 28-29 career record in Ohio Valley Conference games and has one OVC Tournament title (2022-23) and one NCAA Tournament appearance (2022-23) at the Southeast Missouri helm.

Happy New Year!
The Redhawks look to ring in the New Year with a win for the third time under Head Coach Brad Korn. Southeast Missouri is 2-1 in its first game of the New Year under Korn. SEMO beat Tennessee State (83-79, Jan. 2, 2021) and Austin Peay (98-79, Jan. 1, 2022) at home for those victories.

Korn Closing in on 50 Wins
A win Thursday will mark the 50th of Brad Korn's head coaching career. Korn is 49-60 overall and 28-29 in the Ohio Valley Conference in his fourth year at the Southeast Missouri helm.

First OVC Loss
The Redhawks recently fell to their first Ohio Valley Conference loss of the season in an 83-64 setback against OVC preseason favorite Morehead State on New Year's Eve. Southeast Missouri and MSU battled to eight ties and eight lead changes in the first half before the Eagles held a 40-33 lead at the intermission. MSU never lost its lead the rest of the way. Aquan Smart scored 17 points to lead the Redhawks.

Nice OVC Debut
Rob Martin averaged 21.5 points per game in his first two career Ohio Valley Conference starts. 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 OVC opening victory over Southern Indiana (Dec. 29). Two days later, he scored 14 points against Morehead State (Dec. 31). Martin scored over 20 points for the second time this season in his first career OVC start versus USI.

Winning December
The Redhawks wrapped up December with a 4-3 record. Southeast Missouri scored 80 or more points in five of its seven December games.

Week One of OVC Play Recap
All 11 Ohio Valley Conference teams played at least one league game during the opening week of conference play last week. UT Martin (2-0) is atop the standings, while Morehead State (1-0) and Western Illinois (1-0) follow. SIU Edwardsville (1-1), Tennessee State (1-1), Little Rock (1-1), Southeast Missouri (1-1) and Southern Indiana (1-1) also posted victories.

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 11.9 points per game, while Adam Larson and Aquan Smart follow with 10.9 and 10.6 points per contest, respectively.

Road Warriors
The Redhawks played their seventh road game this season at Illinois State (Dec. 21). SEMO is presently 0-7 away from Cape Girardeau. Southeast Missouri dropped 10-straight true road games dating back to 2022-23. SEMO's last true road victory was at Eastern Illinois (79-68) on Jan. 28, 2023.

Top Redhawk
Rob Martin is Southeast Missouri's top scorer this season. Martin, who averages 11.9 points per game, has scored double-digits in seven of his last nine starts. He leads the Redhawks in assists (48) and minutes played (30.1 mpg), as well.

Larson Plays Strong
Adam Larson is the Redhawks second- leading scorer with 10.9 points per game through 14 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 11-straight games and leads the team with nine double-digit scoring performances.

3-Point Threat
Adam Larson ranks sixth in the Ohio Valley Conference in 3-point field goals made. Larson is shooting 45.6 percent on 36-of-79 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 is also 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 473 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 25.7 free throws per game and hold a +6.1 advantage over Southeast Missouri's 19.6 free throw attempts per game this season. SEMO has been outscored at the free throw line, 245-185 (-60), through 14 games. The Redhawks are shooting 67.3 percent (185-of-275) at the charity stripe.

About Western Illinois
Western Illinois is 8-6 overall and 1-0 in the Ohio Valley Conference under first-year Head Coach Chad Boudreau. WIU enters Thursday's matchup on a five-game winning streak. The Leathernecks picked up their program-first OVC win at SIU Edwardsville (78-70) on Dec. 31. WIU has the top rebounder and shot blocker in the league in Drew Cisse. Cisse has 165 rebounds (11.7 per game) and 31 blocks (2.2 per game) this year. Ryan Myers leads the OVC in 3-point field goal percentage with a 46.1 percent clip (35-of-76). James Denton Jr. is the Leathernecks leading scorer with 14.5 points per contest. As a team, WIU leads the league in blocks (87), rebounding offense (44.2 rpg) and offensive rebounds per game (14.3). The Leathernecks are 5-1 at home in 2023-24.