Key takeaways from Southeast Missouri’s upset win over Missouri State

Morehead State’s Ta’lon Cooper (55) puts pressure on Southeast Missouri’s Eric Reed Jr. (3) during their quarterfinal game of the Ohio Valley Conference 2021 Basketball Championships at the Ford Center in Evansville, Ind., Wednesday evening, March 3, 2021.Ovc Mball Semo Vs Morehead 18 /

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Gaige Prim #44 of the Missouri State Bears (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /

Rebounding was key in deciding matchup

Missouri State’s Gaige Prim is the Missouri Valley’s leading rebounder. The Bears are bigger and more physical than Southeast Missouri. Yet the Redhawks held their own and outrebounded MSU 33 to 30.

While no SEMO player grabbed more than seven rebounds, they owned the defensive glass. The taller Bears did score ten ‘second-chance points, but the Redhawks recorded seven of their own extra opportunity points. SEMO grabbed 28 defensive rebounds.

They defended the defensive window with team rebounding and great effort to block out the Bears’ offensive rebounding attempts. 6’8 Manny Patterson led with seven rebounds and 6’4 Nygal Russell grabbed six. No other Redhawk player collected more than four.

Head coach Brad Korn preaches togetherness, team unity, and fundamentals, and his team repeatedly did the hard work and simple processes of blocking out and getting the defensive rebounds.

SEMO’s smallest player, Phillip Russell grabbed three defensive rebounds. What was the 5’10 guard doing in the land of the giants? The St. Louis native was playing team basketball and helping with team rebounding.

Missouri State coach Dana Ford said his players were ‘a group and not a team’ on Tuesday night. The Redhawks were the picture of team basketball. Eight players participated in more than nine minutes, eight had rebounds and eight made free throws.

Team rebounding for this shorter team is critical.