Southern Indiana (6-8, 1-3 OVC) at Southeast Missouri (8-7, 3-1 OVC)

Game Information
Date: Thursday, January 9, 2025
Tip-Off: 7:30 p.m., CT
Location: Cape Girardeau, Mo.
Facility: Show Me Center (7,000)
Series: SEMO leads, 4-1
Last Meeting: SEMO 70, USI 66 | 3/2/24 | Evansville, Ind.
Last Meeting in Cape Girardeau: SEMO 93, UTM 91(OT) | 12/29/23

Head Coaches
Southern Indiana: Stan Gouard (289-179 overall; 61-62 at USI; 38-35 OVC)
Southeast Missouri: Brad Korn (61-80 overall; 61-80 at SEMO; 34-43 OVC)    

Follow the Redhawks
Video: ESPN+  
Live Stats: SEMORedhawks.com
Radio: Real Rock 99.3 FM (Erik Sean, Tom Schuberth)
X: @SEMOMBB
Game Notes: Southeast Missouri (PDF) 

Back at Home
•    Southeast Missouri begins a three-game homestand against Southern Indiana Thursday. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m., CT at the Show Me Center.
•    SEMO is at home for the next three contests. After Thursday's matchup, the Redhawks host Morehead State (Jan. 11) and Little Rock (Jan. 14).
•    Thursday is Military Appreciation Night. The first 500 fans will receive a free camouflage t-shirt.
•    The Redhawks six home victories are tied for the most in the Ohio Valley Conference this year.

Series Notes
•    Southeast Missouri and Southern Indiana meet for just the sixth time on the front end of their home-and-home series.
•    SEMO holds a 4-1 lead in the all-time series.
•    The Redhawks have won three-straight against the Screaming Eagles.
•    SEMO started and finished its Ohio Valley Conference season with wins over USI in 2023-24.
•    The Redhawks are 3-0 against the Screaming Eagles at the Show Me Center.
•    Each of the last four meetings between the teams were decided by no more than five points.

OVC Update
•    Four teams are tied for first in the Ohio Valley Conference standings entering this week's action.
•    Morehead State (3-1), Southeast Missouri (3-1), Tennessee Tech (3-1) and Little Rock (2-1) all have one league loss.
•    TTU is currently the hottest team in the OVC with a four-game winning streak.
•    SEMO and Morehead State square off in Cape Girardeau Saturday.

Redhawks 3-1 in OVC Play
•    The Redhawks recently fell to their first Ohio Valley Conference loss of the season when they came up short, 66-63, at UT Martin (Jan. 4).
•    Southeast Missouri began the 2024-25 season with a 3-0 record in OVC play marking the first time it won three-straight games to start a conference season since 2011-12.
•    SEMO beat Eastern Illinois (79-72, Dec. 19) and SIU Edwardsville (80-64, Dec. 21) at home, and Tennessee State (67-65, Jan. 2) on the road for its three OVC wins.
•    The Redhawks won four of their last five OVC games dating back to last year's season-ending 70-66 victory at Southern Indiana.

Heating Up
•    Southeast Missouri won five of its last six games with four of those victories coming in Cape Girardeau.
•    SEMO saw a season-long five-game winning streak end with a three-point (66-63) loss at UT Martin (Jan. 4).
•    The Redhawks have won five in a row at the Show Me Center and finished December undefeated at home (4-0).

Close Games
•    Southeast Missouri's last two games were decided by a combined five points.
•    SEMO hung on for a 67-65 road win at Tennessee State (Jan. 2) before dropping a tight 63-66 decision at UT Martin (Jan. 4).
•    The Redhawks have been involved in five games decided by five or less points this season. SEMO is 2-3 in those contests.

Stacker Goes Off
•    Southeast Missouri trailed, 47-36, with 11:52 remaining against UT Martin (Jan. 4) when Braxton Stacker gave the Redhawks a big lift.
•    Stacker came off the bench and knocked down a 3-pointer on three-straight possessions to close out a 12-2 run that made it a 47-45 contest with 10:13 to go.
•    He later stepped back and buried another 3-pointer to cut UTM's lead to 50-48 before it was a two-possession game the rest of the way.
•    Stacker finished with a career-high 22 point, made a career-best six 3-pointers and added a career-high four blocks against the Skyhawks.
•    He is SEMO's third-leading scorer in conference play with 9.5 points per game.  

About Southern Indiana
•    Southern Indiana carries a three-game losing streak to Cape Girardeau Thursday.
•    Three of USI's first four Ohio Valley Conference games were decided by four or less points.
•    The Screaming Eagles' lone OVC win thus far was a 77-75 home victory over Tennessee State (Dec. 19).
•    USI is the top free throw shooting team in the conference with a 71.7 percent (195-of-272) clip.
•    Jayland Randall is the Screaming Eagles' top scoring threat with 15.4 points per game. Randall ranks eighth in the league in scoring.
•    Stephen Olowoniyi (.638) tops the OVC in field goal percentage and Jack Champion is first in the conference in assist/turnover ratio (2.86).
•    USI is 1-5 on the road this season.

Pulling Rank
•    In Ohio Valley Conference games, Southeast Missouri leads the league in assist/turnover ratio (1.25).
•    Overall, SEMO tops the OVC in 3-point field goal percentage defense (.264).
•    The Redhawks are among the top three teams in the conference in scoring defense (2nd, 67.7 ppg allowed), scoring margin (3rd, +6.67), field goal percentage (t2nd, .447), 3-point field goal percentage defense (.264), turnover margin (2nd, +2.93), assist/turnover ratio (3rd, 1.27) and defensive rebound percentage (2nd, .732).

Redhawks Second in the Nation Defending the Three
•    Southeast Missouri ranks second in the nation only behind #1 Tennessee in 3-point percentage defense.
•    Opponents are shooting just 26.4 percent from downtown against Southeast Missouri this season.
•    SEMO has held its opponent to five or less 3-pointers made in nine of its 15 games in 2024-25.
•    There are a total of 355 NCAA Division I basketball teams.