EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Rob Martin scored 19 points and Southeast Missouri (9-22, 4-14) made eight free throws in the final 55 seconds to complete a season sweep of Southern Indiana (8-23, 5-13) with a 70-66 win Saturday.
 
SEMO ends 2023-24 on a positive note with its first road victory on its last day of the season. The Redhawks beat the Screaming Eagles twice by a combined six points in 2023-24.
 
In a game that included five ties, nine lead changes, 50 fouls and 65 free throw attempts, the Redhawks prevailed to put an end to a six-game losing streak.
 
USI either led or trailed by one point a total of eight times before SEMO used a 6-1 run to take a 57-51 advantage. Braxton Stacker scored a layup and BJ Ward followed with a basket to make it a two-possession contest with 5:54 left.
 
After two free throws narrowed the Redhawks lead to two, David Idada grabbed his own missed layup and scored to give SEMO a 59-55 edge.
 
Jeremiah Hernandez scored, was fouled and converted a 3-point play to trim SEMO's lead to 59-58, but Martin answered with a 3-pointer on the Redhawks ensuing possession extended with an offensive rebound by Idada.
 
Idada was fouled and went to the free throw line with 57 seconds left and made one of his two shots to stretch SEMO's margin to 63-58. 
 
Aquan Smart was fouled next and missed the front end of a 1-and-1. USI pulled down the rebound and Hernandez then split two free throws.
 
After Martin made two free throws, TJ Biel added two more following a USI turnover to widen SEMO's lead to 67-59 with 22.7 seconds.
 
Ward tacked on one last free throw and Martin dropped in another two to finish off the Screaming Eagles for good.
 
SEMO got some momentum by making three of its first four 3-pointers of the game. 
 
Martin knocked down two with his second capping an 11-2 run that put the Redhawks ahead, 13-6, with 15:40 remaining in the first half. 
 
USI's next eight points all came from Hernandez, who began that streak by converting a 4-point play when he was fouled making a three. Hernandez's two free throws narrowed the Redhawks lead to 15-14 at the 11:30 mark. 
 
Kiyron Powell's two free throws ended a 10-2 surge giving the Screaming Eagles their first lead at 16-15.
 
Tied, 17-17, Martin scored four more points to start a 12-4 stretch that pushed SEMO's lead to eight. Gavyn Elkamil came off the bench and buried a 3-pointer to put the Redhawks up 29-21 with 3:52 left.
 
Smart then drained a 3-pointer to extend SEMO's lead to 32-23 before USI got within six (34-28) at the half. 
 
USI shot a mere 18.2 percent from 3-point range missing on 18 of its 22 shots. The Screaming Eagles shot just 31 percent (18-of-58) from the field.
 
SEMO made just under 80 percent (23-of-29) of its free throws missing only six times at the charity stripe. Meanwhile, the Screaming Eagles hit 26-of-36 free throws.
 
Martin shot 4-of-8 from the field, 3-of-5 from downtown and a perfect 8-of-8 at the free throw line en route to his team-high 19th double-digit game of the season.
 
Smart and Ward followed with 11 and 10 points, respectively. Idada, who started for the injured Josh Earley, fell two points shy of a double-double with eight points and 10 rebounds.
 
SEMO outrebounded USI, 47-38, as well.
 
Saturday brought the 2023-24 regular-season to a close. Little Rock, UT Martin and Morehead State shared this year's Ohio Valley Conference regular-season title. 
 
#1 Little Rock, #2 UT Martin, #3 Morehead State, #4 Western Illinois, #5 Tennessee State, #6 SIU Edwardsville, #7 Eastern Illinois and #8 Southern Indiana will play in next week's OVC Tournament at the Ford Center in Evansville.