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TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – The Northeastern State women's basketball team is set to ring in the new year with home contests against No. 10 Fort Hays State and Nebraska Kearney.
 
The RiverHawks (6-4, 1-1 MIAA) will face the undefeated Tigers (10-0, 2-0 MIAA) at 5:35 p.m. Jan. 3. NSU will then play host to the Lopers (4-5, 1-1 MIAA) at 1:35 p.m. Jan. 5.
 
Both contests will be held at Jack Dobbins Field House and will precede men's games. NSU has not met either school since joining the NCAA in 1996-97.
 
SCOUTING THE TIGERS
Fort Hays State is currently 10-0 this season and 2-0 in the MIAA. The No. 10-ranked Tigers have defeated both Central Missouri (95-50) and Missouri Western (57-42). FHSU leads the nation in scoring defense (46.0) and scoring margin (32.0). The team is second in the NCAA in blocked shots per game (7.4), third in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.34), fifth in fewest turnovers committed per game (12.8), and sixth in turnover margin (9.3). Kate Lehman leads the squad in scoring (17.5 ppg) and rebounding (8.7 rpg), and her 4.5 blocks per game leads the nation. Katelyn Edwards is second on the squad at 13.7 ppg and 8.1 rpg.
 
SCOUTING THE LOPERS
Nebraska Kearney owns a 4-5 record with a 1-1 mark in the conference. The Lopers will meet Pittsburg State two days before traveling to Tahlequah. UNK has split MIAA contests with Lincoln (79-62 win) and NW Missouri State (67-56 loss). The team most recently defeated South Dakota Mines (59-55). The Lopers are led in scoring by Shelby Zimmerman (11.9 ppg, 5.9 rpg), while Melissa Norman is third in scoring (7.6 ppg) and first in rebounding (7.9 rpg).
 
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 71 career starts and has scored in double figures 58 times, which includes a stretch sophomore year where she recorded 11 straight. Green owns 40 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 (220). Lewis surpassed the 1,000-point plateau for her career against Drury. She now has 1,072 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 13.6 points per game and 2.3 rebounds per game. Not far behind is fellow senior guard Tosha Tyler and her 11.3 ppg and 3.0 rpg. Senior forward Sarah Green checks in at 7.9 ppg and 5.0 rpg, junior forward Carrington Fox currently sits at 5.9 ppg and junior guard Taylor Collins adds 5.8 points a night.
 
MIAA NETWORK
The Northeastern State men's and women's basketball road games against Lincoln University were televised by the MIAA Network. The contests are one of just three league doubleheaders being aired by the network, which is available locally on Cox Oklahoma Channels 3 and 703, and on KSMO Channel 62 in Kansas City. Both contests were held in Jason Gym on Lincoln's campus. It was the first meeting for both programs as league rivals, as NSU is currently in its inaugural campaign in the MIAA. NSU kicked off the MIAA Network's basketball slate, which features three doubleheaders and the men's and women's tournament championship games. In addition to NSU's Dec. 8 contests, the MIAA Network will also broadcast the Feb. 23 doubleheader between Nebraska Kearny and Missouri Western and the March 2 doubleheader between Central Missouri and Washburn. The network will close out the regular season on March 10 with the MIAA Women's and Men's Basketball Championship games, which will be played at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo.
 
TOPS IN THE NATION IN TURNOVERS
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 Dec. 16, and the RiverHawks are currently ranked seventh 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).
 
FOX GOES OFF FOR CAREER HIGH
Junior forward Carrington Fox recorded a career-high 13 points against Emporia State Dec. 5. She shot 6 of 9 from the field and added a career-high-tying seven rebounds to lead NSU to the 63-51 upset victory over the Lady Hornets. Fox also contributed two assists and two blocks in 27 minutes.
 
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