Box Score

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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Northeastern State men's basketball team picked up a 57-45 victory over Lincoln University Saturday night in Jason Gym on the MIAA Network.
 
The RiverHawks moved to 7-1 on the season and 2-0 in the MIAA, while the Blue Tigers dropped to 2-8 overall and 1-1 in the league.
 
Senior forward Jermaine Bransford recorded his second-straight double-double as he dropped 16 points and pulled down a career-high 14 rebounds in 37 minutes. Junior guard Bryton Hobbs led all scorers with 19 points.
 
NSU shot 40 percent from the field (20-50), 25 percent from downtown (4-16) and 68 percent from the line. The visitors turned the ball over just nine times and outrebounded LU 40-30.
 
Cedric Ridle led Lincoln with 16 points and nine boards. Charles Cole added 15 points and 10 rebounds, and Sean Harris recorded six blocks.
 
The Blue Tigers shot 32 percent from the field (17-53), 26 percent from behind the arc (6-23) and just 5 of 7 from the charity stripe (71 percent).
 
The two teams went back and forth in the first half, with Northeastern State taking the largest lead of seven points on two occasions. NSU held that advantage at 29-22 late in the frame, but a trey from Cole with five seconds to play cut the halftime lead to 29-25.
 
The RiverHawks never trailed in the second half, but Lincoln was able battle to within two (45-43) at 5:53. The visiting side was able to crank up the play on both ends of the floor and closed the game on a 12-2 run to earn the victory.
 
Northeastern State will now travel to Quincy, Ill., for the QU Holiday Tournament Dec. 18-19. The RiverHawks will first face Ohio Valley University at 5:15 p.m. Dec. 18.
 
NORTHEASTERN STATE COACH LARRY GIPSON
Opening statement…
“Lincoln is a very tough environment. We came in here about 10 years ago with a good basketball team and got beat. They always pull an upset or two on their home floor during the conference season, so I'm extremely happy we were able to escape with a win.”
 
On being 7-1…
“What's more important than our record is how we're playing. We're learning how to win basketball games. This is the first game that I would say we truly closed it out. The game was in the balance with about 2:40 to go, and we just closed it out. We scored and scored, and we also stopped them. Next thing you know, we were up double digits. Our effort tonight may not have been a thing of beauty, but we battled hard and earned the win. Our kids were determined. They did a good job down the stretch and made intelligent plays. I'm really proud of this win.”
 
On Jermaine Bransford's second-straight double-double…
“Jermaine is playing with a lot of confidence and enthusiasm right now. He is a high-energy kid with a lot of athleticism. When he shows up ready to play, he's a handful for anybody to deal with.”
 
On Zach Jones starting due to an injury…
“Zach was a little nervous at first, but I think our whole team responded. Jon Miller was sub-par and doubtful. He can play, and he gave us half a dozen really good minutes. I was really pleased for Zach. He has come to practice everyday, and he has worked to get an opportunity. He made the most of it, and I think more playing time is in store for him.”
 
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