Box Score

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MARYVILLE, Mo. – The Northeastern State women's basketball team saw its five-game win streak come to an end in a 67-64 loss to Northwest Missouri State Thursday evening inside Bearcat Arena.
 
The RiverHawks (13-6, 8-3 MIAA) had their five-game win streak halted, while the Bearcats (11-7, 5-5 MIAA) ended a short two-game skid. Northwest Missouri State also improved to 8-1 at home.
 
The story of the contest was NWMSU's Monique Stevens, who entered the game averaging 6.7 points per game and was just 8-for-48 (16.7 percent) from downtown this season. She finished with a career-high 20 points and converted 6 of 9 from behind the arc.
 
As a team, the Bearcats knocked down 23 of 46 (50 percent) for the game and 12 of 24 (50 percent) from distance. Ashleigh Nelson added 12 and Maggie Marnin dropped in 10 for the home side.
 
Senior guard Taylor Lewis led Northeastern State with 18 points, sophomore guard Chelsey Stricklen scored 12 off the bench, and senior forward Sarah Green added 11.
 
The visitors were 24-for-53 (45 percent) from the field and 10-for-19 (53 percent) from downtown.
 
NSU took a quick 10-4 advantage and kept its lead at 20-19 with 5:56 to play in the opening half. The Bearcats used a 15-3 run to close out the half and earn a 34-23 halftime lead.
 
Northwest Missouri State pushed its lead to as many as 18 at 53-35 with 13:43 to play, but the visitors used a 13-0 run to get within five points.
 
NSU fought all the way back to within two at 59-57 with five minutes to play, but the team turned the ball over on its next possession and missed a layup at 2:51 that would have tied the game.
 
NWMSU drained a triple on the following possession and the team held on for the three-point triumph.
 
Northeastern State will stay in the northwest part of Missouri to face Missouri Western State at 1:30 p.m. Feb. 2 in St. Joseph, Mo.
 
NORTHEASTERN STATE COACH RANDY GIPSON
On Northwest Missouri State's shooting performance…
“They shot the ball really well. The big surprise was (Monique) Stevens. She had a great shooting night, and I did not see that coming. They came ready to play. They were sharp in their movements, and they played hard on both ends of the floor. They put a good game plan out there. We were a little tentative until we got way behind in the game. We couldn't quite come back.”
 
On dealing with the NWMSU pressure…
“They were changing their defenses, and I think that bothered us a little bit. We turned the ball over uncharacteristically high in the first half. The second half we did a little better job. It just happens sometime where a team is kind of tentative, not as aggressive as you would like to see.”
 
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