COVERAGE LINKS | GAME NOTES

ARKADELPHIA, Ark. - Henderson State returns to the Duke Wells Center after spending three days in Oklahoma where it will host Southeastern Oklahoma State Thursday, Jan. 18 at 7:30 p.m.

REDDIES REPORT (5-8, 4-4 GAC)
Henderson State returns to the confines of familiar Duke Wells Center Thursday evening, where HSU is 4-1, compared to being 1-7 away from Don Dyer Court. Included in the road struggles was this past week when the Reddies lost to Southwestern Oklahoma State and Northwestern Oklahoma State out in western Oklahoma, 84-82 (OT) and 79-67, respectively. The loss to SWOSU marked HSU's second overtime loss of the season and its third GAC loss by one possession.

Henderson's scoring patterns have reflected the game's venue. When playing at home this season, the red-and-gray are averaging 87.4 points per game. In road or neutral contests, they are seeing 72.4 points per game. Equally as telling has been the Reddies' field-goal percentage at home compare to elsewhere. Henderson shoots at a 51.7 percent (166-of-321) clip at home compared to just 44.6 percent (225-of-504) in road and neutral site games.

Through 13 games, the Reddies as a team are shooting 47.4 percent, which is third in the GAC, while also holding teams to just 42.7 percent shooting - a mark which is also third in the conference. That Top-3 league percentage has not extended beyond the three-point line for Jimmy Elgas' squad as they are 12th in the league with a 31.0 three-point shooting percentage. Meanwhile, HSU is fourth with a 31.7 opponent three-point shooting percentage. That perimeter defense will be put to the test Thursday when Henderson goes up against a Southeastern team that averages 26.8 three-point field-goal attempts per game, which is 26th in NCAA Division II.

Henderson State and Southeastern Oklahoma State have played three times in the last year, with HSU winning two of those. In last year's regular season meeting in Arkadelphia, the Reddies posted their second largest margin of victory against a conference opponent in the GAC era, 106-72. That day, HSU held Southeastern's prolific shooting offense to just 23.5 percent (8-of-34) from long range. Earlier that season when the two teams met in Durant, Oklahoma, the Savage Storm knocked down 18 three-pointers in route to a 99-73 victory. The home team in this series has won each of the last six regular season meetings.  

SCOUTING SOUTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA ST. (10-6, 6-2 GAC)
Southeastern Oklahoma State has lost just once in its last six games while having scored at least 85 points in all five victories, which has aided the Savage Storm in their 20th ranked scoring offense in the nation at 87.4 points per game. That number is seven points per game better than the second-best scoring offense in the GAC. Southeastern has finished each of the last two seasons as the top scoring offense in the conference.

Southeastern's high-powered offense boasts five players averaging at least 11 points per contest, including junior guard Kody Clouet. One of the best pure shooters in the country, Clouet is averaging 18.8 points per game while shooting 52.7 percent from the field, 49.4 percent from three-point range and 90.5 percent from the free-throw line. Helping orchestrate the Storm offense is reigning GAC Player of the Week Brennen Burns, who has recorded at least six assists in his last five outings, while also scoring 16.8 points per contest during that time. 

Though SE can score with the best of them, it has also shown to give up a lot of points. The Savage Storm are 12th in the league in scoring defense at 82.2 points per game, which is 248th in DII. Under Elgas, Henderson State has won 22 straight home games when it scores 80 or more points, with its last such loss coming on Feb. 8, 2020. The last three losses the Savage Storm have suffered to HSU, the Reddies have scored at least 80 points all three times.