From SEMO Athletics:
Southeast Missouri (1-1) at Evansville (2-0)
Date: Thursday, November 16, 2017
Tip-off: 7 p.m., CT
Location: Evansville, Ind.
Arena: Ford Center (8,930)
Series History: Evansville leads, 9-5
Last Meeting: Evansville 80, SEMO 65 (Nov. 15, 2015 / Evansville, Ind.)
Head Coaches: Rick Ray (58-103 overall; 21-43 at SEMO; 11-21 OVC). Marty Simmons (283-249 overall; 185-176 at UE).
Media Coverage
Radio: SEMO ESPN 92.9 FM, Real Rock 99.3 FM (Erik Sean)
Video: ESPN3/WatchESPN
Live Stats: GoPurpleAces.com
Twitter: @SEMOMBB
Southeast Missouri Notes
Redhawks Head to Evansville
Southeast Missouri (1-1) continues Cancun Challenge play when it visits Missouri Valley Conference member Evansville (2-0) Thursday. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m., CT, at the Ford Center.
Follow the Redhawks
Fans can listen to Thursday's game on the radio at ESPN 92.9 FM and Real Rock 99.3 FM. Erik Sean will call the action. Video can be accessed online at ESPN3. Live stats are available at GoPurpleAces.com. Twitter updates provided @SEMOMBB.
Cancun Challenge
Thursday is the second of four games Southeast plays as part of this year's Cancun Challenge. The Redhawks dropped a 96-95 decision in overtime at Louisiana Tech Monday. After its game at Evansville, Southeast returns to Cape Girardeau for two days before departing for Cancun, Mexico on Sunday, Nov. 19. The Redhawks wrap up the event with games against Cal State Northridge (Nov. 21) and either Binghamton or Montana State (Nov. 22) at the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya. Fresno State and George Mason are also part of the tournament field.
Series History
Southeast trails its all-time series against Evansville, 9-5. The Redhawks meet the Purple Aces for the second time with Rick Ray as their head coach. UE beat Southeast, 80-65, the last time these teams faced each other on Nov. 15, 2015 in Evansville. The Redhawks are 1-6 all-time against the Purple Aces in Evansville with their lone road win coming on Feb. 22, 1947 (61-45).
Logging the Miles
Southeast is in the middle of two long trips is racking up the miles between ground and air transportation. Here is a look at the Redhawks travel itinerary:
Nov. 12 Charter Bus to St. Louis, Mo., 118 miles
Flight to Dallas, Texas, 551 miles
Flight to Monroe, La., 292 miles
Charter Bus to Ruston, La., 33.2 miles
Nov. 14 Charter Bus to Monroe, La., 33.2 miles
Flight to Dallas, Texas, 292 miles
Flight to Evansville, Ind., 642 miles
Nov. 16 Charter Bus to Cape Girardeau, 139.6 miles
Nov. 19 Charter Bus to Evansville, Ind., 139.6 miles
Flight to Cancun, Mexico, 1,736 miles
Charter Bus to Riviera Maya, 51 miles
Nov. 23 Charter Bus to Cancun, Mexico, 51 miles
Flight to Dallas, Texas, 1,031 miles
Flight to Evansville, Ind., 642 miles
Charter Bus to Cape Girardeau, 139.6 miles
Total Mileage 5,891.2
Against the Missouri Valley
Evansville is the first of three Missouri Valley Conference teams Southeast faces this season. The Redhawks also travel to Southern Illinois (Dec. 9) and host Bradley (Dec. 20) during non-conference play. Southeast is 108-190 all-time against the MVC. That record includes a 45-70 mark against SIU, 0-1 record vs. Drake, 5-9 record vs. Evansville, 2-8 mark vs. Bradley, 1-8 record vs. Illinois State, 0-2 record vs. Indiana State and a 55-92 mark vs. Missouri State.
Wire to Wire
Southeast took a strong Louisiana Tech team to the wire in a 96-95 overtime loss on Nov. 13. Freshman Justin Carpenter made two free throws with 30 seconds left and the Redhawks got a big stop to force the game to overtime. Louisiana Tech went on a 7-0 run, did not miss a field goal (5-of-5) and made 7-of-10 free throws to escape in the extra period. Both teams went back-and-forth to 13 ties and 10 lead changes and scored a combined 86 points in the paint. Eight different players scored double figures between the two teams, including four with 20 or more. The 95 points were Southeast's most in a game against a Division I opponent since it put up 98 against UT Martin on Feb. 12, 2015.
Great Start
Preseason All-Ohio Valley Conference guard/forward Denzel Mahoney is off to a great start in 2017-18. Mahoney scored over 20 points in each of his first two games and enters Thursday's matchup ranked second in the league in scoring with 23 points per contest. Only Eastern Kentucky's Nick Mayo (25 ppg) is ahead of Mahoney this young season. He presently ranks ninth in the nation in free throws made (17).
Freshmen Rise
Freshmen Ledarrius Brewer, Justin Carpenter and Ray Kowalski combined to score 49 points in Southeast's one-point loss at Louisiana Tech (Nov. 13). Brewer pitched in 20 points and grabbed six rebounds and Carpenter added 17 points and six boards off the bench. Kowalski put up 12 points in his first career double-digit game. Brewer (17 ppg) and Carpenter (10.5 ppg) are second and fourth on the team in scoring, respectively.
League Leader
Freshman Justin Carpenter leads the Ohio Valley Conference in field goal percentage after two games this season. Carpenter is shooting 81.8 percent on 9-of-11 field goals. he made seven of his field goals at Louisiana Tech (Nov. 13).
Where the Redhawks Rank
Southeast ranks third in the Ohio Valley Conference in scoring offense (88 ppg), scoring margin (+5.5), free throw percentage (.825), field goal percentage (.488), rebounding defense (33.5 rpg) and assists (18.5). The Redhawks are also second in turnover margin (+2.50) and assist/turnover ratio (1.7).
Dalton Dishes
Point guard Jonathan Dalton had seven assists in each of his first two start this season. Dalton enters Thursday's game ranked second in the Ohio Valley Conference and 13th in the nation in assists. His seven assists against both Missouri Baptist (Nov. 10) and Louisiana Tech (Nov. 13) are a career-high.
Familiar with the MVC
Rick Ray's first NCAA Division I coaching job was at Indiana State. Ray was an assistant coach there from 1997-2004, helping ISU to consecutive 20-win seasons and NCAA Tournament appearances in 1999-2000and 2000-01. In 1999-2000, the Sycamores compiled a 14-4 record in the Missouri Valley Conference and won the regular-season title. ISU then won the MVC Tournament the following season. The Sycamores upset No. 4 seed Oklahoma in the first round of the 2001 NCAA Tournament. In addition, Ray was part of the ISU sta that defeated perennial power Indiana in back-to-back seasons.
Double-Digit Scorers
Southeast put four or more players in double figures for the second-straight game this season. Denzel Mahoney paved the way with 25 points, Ledarrius Brewer scored 20, Justin Carpenter added 17, Ray Kowalski pitched in 12 and Daniel Simmons tallied 11. Mahoney (21), Brewer (14), Simmons (13) and Jonathan Dalton (11) scored double figures vs. Missouri Baptist (Nov. 10).