NASHVILLE – The Tennessee State men's basketball team will travel to Southeast Missouri for a conference matchup on Thursday evening. 

The Matchup: Tennessee State Tigers (7-10, 2-3 OVC) vs. SEMO Redhawks (6-11, 1-3 OVC)
Date/Time: Thursday, January 20 || 7:00 p.m. (CST)
Location: Show Me Center || Cape Girardeau, Mo.

Watch: ESPN+ will carry the game live with SEMO's Erik Sean on the call. || Listen: Head to RealRock993.com or click here for an audio broadcast.

Live Stats: To follow live coverage of the game through the stats link, click here.

Series History: This will be the 54th meeting between the two programs, as SEMO holds an advantage in Cape Giradeau, Missouri, 17-11. Tennessee State owns the bragging rights after defeating the Redhawks in this year's first meeting, 95-84. Marcus Fitzgerald Jr. logged a season-high 23 points. As a team, the Tigers shot 60.9% from the field - the second-best percentage this year. SEMO's Phillip Russell generated 22 points on 6-of-11 from the field, including 9-of-13 at the free-throw line. The Redhawks were out-rebounded by TSU, 33-21.

Last Time Out for TSU: Tennessee State dominated Tennessee Tech, 80-64, on Monday afternoon. Carlos Marshall Jr. registered a game-high 19 points and matched the team-high of six rebounds. Marcus Fitzgerald Jr. logged 18 points on 50% from the field. Dedric Boyd contributed 16 points and six rebounds to the victory. As a team, TSU shot 60% from the field in the opening stanza. The Tigers drained nine three-pointers in the first half.

OVC Newcomer of the Week: Kassim Nicholson, a transfer from UAB, averaged a double-double in a pair of games last week. Against Morehead State, he had a career-best 18 points (on 8-of-12 shooting) and 11 rebounds. Nicholson has five double-doubles on the year, which ranks second among OVC players, and has seven total double-digit rebound contests. He ranks second in the OVC in rebounding (8.3 points/game).

Conference Leaders: Nicholson ranks second in the OVC in rebounds (138, 8.1 rpg). In conference play, Carlos Marshall Jr. ranks second in the league with 16.6 points per game through five OVC games. Nicholson's ranked third in the OVC in field goal percentage (60.5%) through five games. Marcus Fitzgerald Jr. leads the league in free-throws during conference action (24-for-25, 96%). Shakem Johnson is tied for third in the conference with eight blocks in five OVC games. TSU leads the league in free-throw percentage (78.6%) throughout five OVC games.

Last Time Out for SEMO: SEMO's had their past two games canceled due to COVID-19 protocols. Their most recent game was at the Gentry Center against the TSU Tigers. Tennessee State defeated SEMO, 95-84, on January 8. Marcus Fitzgerald Jr. led the way for TSU with a season-high 23 points. The Tigers shot 60.9% from the field, the second-best percentage this year. Phillip Russell generated 22 points on 6-of-11 from the field, including 9-of-13 at the free-throw line. The Redhawks were out-rebounded by TSU, 33-21.

Bench Production: Nana Akenten came off the bench to score double figures in their previous two games. Akenten scored a season-high 19 points at Belmont (Jan. 6) and followed that up with 16 points two days later at Tennessee State (Jan. 8). He shot 57.1 percent (12-of-21) from the field and 50 percent (9-of-18) from 3-point range. His five 3-pointers against the Bruins marked a season-best. Akenten had scored only 13 points in six games prior to outburst at Belmont.

Feel at Home: Southeast Missouri is presently on a four-game home winning streak after beating Missouri Baptist (71-63, Nov. 22), Webster (76-64, Dec. 4), Evansville (75-73, Dec. 8) and Austin Peay (98-79, Jan. 1). SEMO is on its longest home winning streak since it won five in a row during the 2016-17 campaign. The Redhawks are 4-2 at the Show Me Center this year.

Social: Follow @TSUTigersMBB on Twitter and Instagram or visit www.tsutigers.com for more information.