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TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – The Northeastern State women's basketball team takes its five-game win streak to Maryville, Mo., for a matchup with Northwest Missouri State. The RiverHawks (13-5, 8-2 MIAA) will meet the Bearcats (10-7, 4-5 MIAA) at 5:30 p.m. Jan. 31 inside Bearcat Arena (2,500).
 
Northeastern State is 3-0 all-time against NWMSU since joining the NCAA in 1996-97. The two squads met in Hawai'i on Dec. 20, 2005 (56-50) and NSU won on both team's home courts last year. The first was a 69-42 triumph Nov. 15, 2011, inside Jack Dobbins Field House. The second meeting was a 58-55 win Feb. 1, 2012, inside Bearcat Arena.
 
The Bearcats were selected in the preseason MIAA coaches poll to finish 14th in the conference, while NSU was picked fourth.
 

(RV) Northeastern State's Probable Starters
F	24	Sarah Green	5-9	Sr-3L	6.8 ppg, 5.3 rpg	Tulsa, Okla.
F	44	Carrington Fox	5-11	Jr-2L	4.8 ppg, 4.6 rpg	Tulsa, Okla.
G	4	Fontana Tate	5-5	So-1L	5.8 ppg, 3.3 rpg	Muldrow, Okla.
G	10	Taylor Lewis	5-7	Sr-3L	16.0 ppg, 2.7 rpg	Broken Arrow, Okla.
G	12	Tosha Tyler	5-7	Sr-3L	11.7 ppg, 3.5 rpg	Vinita, Okla.
Northwest Missouri State's Probable Starters
F	34	Annie Mathews	5-10	So.	9.5 ppg, 7.7 rpg	Plattsmouth, Neb.
C	54	Maggie Marnin	6-3	So.	11.1 ppg, 5.4 rpg	Stuart, Iowa
G	13	Ashleigh Nelson	5-9	So.	11.4 ppg, 2.5 apg	Omaha, Neb.
G	21	Monique Stevens	5-3	Jr.	6.7 ppg, 4.5 apg	Victoria, Australia
G	22	Tember Schechinger	5-10	Fr.	8.8 ppg, 4.4 rpg	Manilla, Iowa

 
SCOUTING THE BEARCATS
Northwest Missouri State owns a 10-7 record overall and a 4-5 mark in the conference. The Bearcats have dropped five of their last seven outings, including losses to Missouri Southern State (64-55), Pittsburg State (76-47), and most recently Central Missouri (60-52). The two wins have come over Lincoln (77-60) and Central Oklahoma (65-55). NWMSU is led in scoring by Ashleigh Nelson (11.4 ppg) and Maggie Marnin (11.1 ppg, 5.4 rpg). Meridee Scott also averages double figures (10.1 ppg), and Annie Mathews leads the squad in rebounding (9.5 ppg, 7.7 rpg).
 
LAST 12 FOR LEWIS
Senior guard Taylor Lewis has scored in double figures in all but one game this season, but she has been especially hot over the last 12 games. Ever since a 21-point outburst against Emporia State on Dec. 5, Lewis has averaged 18.1 points per game (217 total) with shooting percentages of 49.7 from the field (71-for-143), 51.2 from downtown (44-for-86) and 91.2 from the free-throw line (31-for-34). For the season, Lewis is averaging 16.0 points per game to rank second in the MIAA. She is also the league's second-leading scorer during conference games at 18.3 ppg.
 
WHERE THEY STAND
Northeastern State currently owns an 8-2 record in its first season in the MIAA. The RiverHawks are tied for second place with Truman State. Washburn currently sits atop the league table at 7-1, and Central Missouri is a half-game behind TSU and NSU in fourth place. NSU was selected to finish fourth in the conference this season by both the media and the league coaches.
 
FOR THE HALF
NSU has been especially dominant on the defensive end of the floor in the first half of games in 2013. Over the last eight games, the RiverHawks are allowing opponents to score just 19.5 points in the opening 20 minutes of action. NSU has not allowed an opponent to score more than 25 points in the first half in each of the last 12 games.
 
TOPPLING A TOP-10 GIANT, TIMES TWO
NSU has defeated two top 10 teams this season in then-No. 10 Fort Hays State (54-44, Jan. 3) and then-No. 9 Washburn (52-43, Jan. 19). 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 then-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. Northeastern State also held the Lady Blues to season-lows in field-goal percentage (18-for-58, 31 percent) and three-point percentage (2-for-17, 12 percent). They were held to their lowest point total in more than two years as no member of the team reached double figures. They scored 41 against Missouri Western on Dec. 19, 2010. Washburn senior guard Laura Kinderknecht entered the contest as the MIAA's third-leading scorer at 16.2 ppg. She was held to a season-low eight points after shooting just 3-for-16 from the field and 2-for-10 from beyond the three-point line.
 
SENIORS FEEL RIGHT AT HOME
NSU has three seniors on this year's squad in Sarah Green, Taylor Lewis and Tosha Tyler. The trio of stars has been part of four years of dominance inside Jack Dobbins Field House. The RiverHawks are 7-0 at home this season and 42-3 over the career of the three veterans.
 
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. 28, and the RiverHawks are currently ranked fourth in the nation at just 11.9 turnovers per game this season. NSU recorded a season-low five turnovers against Pittsburg State (Jan. 23, 2013).
 
NORTHEASTERN STATE RECEIVING VOTES
The NSU women's basketball team is receiving votes in the latest USA Today Division II Women's Basketball Top 25 Coaches' Polls, released Jan. 29. NSU has been ranked or received votes in five polls this season, and the team was No. 23 in the preseason.
 
-GoRiverHawksGo.com-