This is the last game of the regular season in the OVC. Austin Peay's loss at UT-Martin Thursday means this will be their last game of the year because they have been eliminated from making the OVC tournament. So this game is pretty much meaningless to them. SEMO needs to win this game to claim their first Division Championship since the conference split into two Divisions. That would also give them the #2 seed and double bye in the OVC tournament.
SEMO won the first meeting between these two 82-71 and they are playing much better than they were then. Coach Ray said after the last two home wins he thinks his players have finally bought into his system of sharing the ball and making that extra pass to find the open shooter. One stat that people tend to overlook but brings that point home is in the last two games, the 90-61 dismantling of UT-Martin, SEMO had 24 assists on 32 made baskets and the double digit win, 82-69, against Murray they had 23 assists on 31 made baskets. That has a lot to do with why they're putting up such good offensive numbers. In conference home games they are 6-1 and shooting 54.2% from the floor, 45.4% from the arc, and 77.1 % from the line. SEMO started the year with 11 new players and struggled mightily until about half way through the conference season. Now they are playing their best ball of the year. If they just have their average conference home game they should win this one by double digits. Just a few weeks ago I would never have backed them as more than a two basket favorite but I feel very comfortable backing them as a big 7* play in this spot.
7* #694 SEMO -7 -120