Redhawks MBB looks to continue momentum in final homestand

Southeast Missouri State men’s basketball is entering its final five regular-season games and, having recently clinched an Ohio Valley Conference Tournament berth, the time has come for the Redhawks to set their sights on even greater things.

Leading the OVC going into Saturday, the Redhawks’ dreams of a bye to the conference tourney semifinals are more than alive, and there’s a chance they could even clinch a regular-season conference championship.

With this 3:45 p.m. game against Tennessee Tech the beginning of a three-game homestand to conclude this year’s slate of Show Me Center games, it’s a better opportunity than ever to extend their lead at the top.

SEMO (16-10 overall, 11-4 OVC) hosts a tough Tennessee Tech team that’s been competitive at 8-7 in the OVC (13-13 overall).

The last time they matched up, the Redhawks knocked off the Golden Eagles with a 77-70 victory in Cookeville, Tennessee. Since then, SEMO has won seven of its past eight.

Jaylon Johnson led all scorers in the prior matchup with 21 points in the loss, with SEMO’s Teddy Washington Jr. scoring 17, which led the way for the victorious Redhawks on the road.

Rodney Johnson Jr.’s got a slight lead on Johnson for the season in scoring average, with Johnson Jr.’s 13.2 edging out a 13-flat nightly score for Jaylon, who also averages close to five assists.

Matthew Sells, a senior 6-foot-3 point guard, is hitting a ridiculous 48.6% of his 3-point shots this season, and he leads the Golden Eagles in field goal percentage.

On the heels of a historic six game winning streak, which ranks as its longest in over 20 years, SEMO’s catching fire at the right time.

The Redhawks are eyeing just their second conference regular-season title since moving to the OVC, having last won the league in the 1999-2000 season. They went to the NCAA Tournament that season before losing in the first round against No. 4 Louisiana State.