Game Notes  I  Live Stats  I  Live Stats (mobile)  I  Free Audio  I  Live Video

Like NSU Women's Basketball on Facebook  I  Follow NSU Women's Basketball on Twitter

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – The Northeastern State women's basketball team travels to Bolivar, Mo., for a matchup against Southwest Baptist. The RiverHawks (8-5, 3-2 MIAA) will meet the Bearcats (6-7, 1-4 MIAA) at 5:30 p.m. Jan. 12 inside Meyer Sports Center.
 
The last time these two teams met was Nov. 24, 2009, when NSU earned a 71-67 victory in Bolivar. The Bearcats were selected in the preseason polls to finish 12th in the MIAA, while NSU was picked fourth.
 
SCOUTING THE BEARCATS
Southwest Baptist is 6-7 overall this season and 1-4 in the MIAA. The Bearcats' lone conference win came over Central Oklahoma (75-71), and they have lost to Washburn (71-65), Central Missouri (69-66), Lincoln (77-65) and Emporia State (65-59). SBU is currently on a three-game losing skid. The team is led in scoring, rebounding and assists by Jacqui Zelenka, who averages 12.0 ppg, 9.4 rpg and 2.9 apt. Chasity Prince averages 11.2 ppg and 5.8 rpg, while Brittney Dukes adds 10.3 ppg.
 
LEWIS WINS WEEKLY MIAA ACCOLADE
Taylor Lewis was named the MIAA Women's Basketball Athlete of the Week on Feb. 7. The senior guard from Broken Arrow, Okla., led Northeastern State to two victories this past week, which included a 54-44 upset over No. 10 Fort Hays State. She recorded 17 points, four rebounds, three steals, and three assists against the Tigers. FHSU was held to its lowest point total of the season in the team's first loss of the 2012-13 campaign. Lewis then scored a season high 26 points in an 85-57 win over Nebraska Kearney in just 21 minutes. She went 9-for-11 from the field and 6-for-7 from behind the three-point line. On the week, Lewis averaged 21.5 points, while shooting 58 percent from the field and 64 percent from downtown. This was the first weekly honor for an NSU player in the MIAA, and it was also Lewis' first weekly accolade. The last time a RiverHawk women's basketball player picked up a weekly conference laurel was Feb. 8, 2011, when Jasmine Wright was honored as the Lone Star Conference North Division Offensive Player of the Week and Cristy Nitz was named the LSC North Division Defensive Player of the Week.
 
TOPPLING A GIANT
NSU defeated No. 10 Fort Hays State 54-44 on Jan. 3. The RiverHawks held the Tigers to their lowest scoring output since Feb. 26, 2011, a span of 41 games. The win was the first for Northeastern State over a top-10 team since the squad took down No. 7 Washburn on March 13, 2010. FHSU center Kate Lehman entered the game as the nation's leading shot blocker and the second-best scorer in the MIAA. NSU held the 6-foot-4 sophomore to a season-low seven points and two blocks. She was held to her lowest point total since Dec. 30, 2011, a span of 29 games.
 
NSU RAINS SCHOOL RECORD 15 TREY'S
Northeastern State tied the school record for three-point baskets made in a single game in an 85-57 win over Nebraska Kearney Jan. 5. The RiverHawks finished 15-for-26 from behind the arc to finish with a season high in points. Senior guard Taylor Lewis led the way with six trey's. Sophomore guards Chelsey Stricklen and Fontana Tate both made three from downtown, junior guard Taylor Collins added two and senior guard Tosha Tyler added one.
 
STRICKLEN, TATE SET CAREER HIGHS
Chelsey Stricklen and Fontana Tate both scored a career-high 13 points in NSU's 85-57 win over Nebraska Kearney on Jan. 5. The duo of sophomore guards combined to shoot 9-for-15 from the field and 6-for-11 from downtown. They combined for seven rebounds, and Stricklen also dished out a career-best five assists.
 
LEWIS, GREEN SURPASS MILESTONES
Senior guard Taylor Lewis and senior forward Sarah Green both recorded their 100th career game in the green and white Nov. 24 against Tarleton State. Lewis has made 74 career starts and has scored in double figures 61 times, which includes a stretch sophomore year where she recorded 11 straight. Green owns 43 starts, has scored in double digits 16 times and has also recorded three double-digit rebounding efforts. Lewis also knocked down her 200th career three-point basket Nov. 20 against Northwestern Oklahoma State. She owns the school record for three's made in a game (8), season (87) and career (232). Lewis surpassed the 1,000-point plateau for her career against Drury. She now has 1,134 points in her four-year career.
 
VETERANS PACE THE RIVERHAWKS
Six members of the Northeastern State women's basketball are currently averaging at least 5.0 points per game, with five being upperclassmen. Leading the way for NSU is senior guard Taylor Lewis, who is averaging 15.2 points per game and 2.5 rebounds per game. Not far behind is fellow senior guard Tosha Tyler and her 12.0 ppg and 3.2 rpg. Senior forward Sarah Green checks in at 7.5 ppg and a team-leading 5.2 rpg, junior forward Carrington Fox currently sits at 5.3 ppg and 4.8 rpg, and junior guard Taylor Collins adds 5.0 points a night.
 
ONE OF THE BEST IN BALL CONTROL
The first NCAA statistics were released Dec. 2, and Northeastern State ranked as the top team in the country in terms of fewest committed turnovers per game. The most recent national rankings were released Jan. 6, and the RiverHawks are currently ranked sixth in the nation at just 12.6 turnovers per game this season. NSU recorded a season-low eight turnovers against University of Arkansas at Monticello (Dec. 18, 2012).
 
-GoRiverHawksGo.com-