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TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – The Northeastern State men's basketball team is set to travel to Maryville, Mo., for a makeup contest with Northwest Missouri State at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 13 inside Bearcat Arena (2,500).

The RiverHawks (10-3, 5-1 MIAA) and Bearcats (10-5, 5-1 MIAA) are currently tied atop the MIAA standings with Missouri Southern State (11-2, 5-1 MIAA).

NWMSU owns a 2-1 series record since NSU joined the NCAA in 1996-97. The Bearcats won last year's meeting by a slim 73-72 margin in Maryville. Northeastern State earned a 60-56 win early in the 1999-00 campaign, and the Bearcats got their revenge a year later, picking up a 62-60 triumph early the following year. Both games were played on neutral grounds. NWMSU was selected in the preseason MIAA coaches poll to finish second in the league, while NSU was picked fourth.

(RV) Northeastern State's Probable Starters
F	15	Marcus Sheppard	6-4, 205	Sr-1L	9.1 ppg, 5.7 rpg	Vivian, La.
F	22	Curtis Evans	6-7, 215	Jr-TR	10.1 ppg, 8.6 rpg	Springdale, Ark.
G	03	Bryton Hobbs	6-0, 170	Sr-1L	24.1 ppg, 5.2 apg	St. Louis, Mo.
G	05	Keon Littleton	6-1, 185	Jr-TR	8.8 ppg, 4.0 rpg	DeSoto, Texas
G	20	Dalen Qualls	6-1, 180	Jr-TR	9.5 ppg, 1.1 apg	Stratford, Okla.
Northwest Missouri State's Probable Starters
F	34	Kyle Schlake	6-10, 250	Sr.	2.6 ppg, 2.9 rpg	Firth, Neb.
F	51	Dillon Starzl	6-8, 250	Sr.	15.7 ppg, 5.5 rpg	Kearney, Mo.
G	02	DeShaun Cooper	5-8, 165	Sr.	13.4 ppg, 4.2 apg	St. Louis, Mo.
G	05	Bryston Williams	6-0, 190	Sr.	11.6 ppg, 3.3 rpg	St. Joseph, Mo.
G	24	Conner Crooker	6-2, 185	So.	12.7 ppg, 3.1 rpg	Overland, Park, Kan.

 
SCOUTING THE BEARCATS
Northwest Missouri State owns a 10-5 mark this season with a 5-1 record in the MIAA. The Bearcats own conference victories over Pittsburg State (75-59), Emporia State (89-68), league preseason favorite Fort Hays State (88-74), Nebraska-Kearney (73-69 OT), and Washburn (83-76). The lone blemish on the card came right after the holiday break at home to Central Oklahoma (81-77). Five members of the team average double digits in scoring, led by Dillon Starzl's 15.7 ppg. He also leads the team in rebounding at 5.5 rpg. DeShaun Cooper (13.4 ppg), Conner Crooker (12.7 ppg), Bryston Williams (11.6 ppg), and Grant Cozad (11.2 ppg) all average double figures.
 
THE LAST TIME OUT
The RiverHawks became the final team to suffer a conference loss as Missouri Southern State handed the RiverHawks an 80-65 defeat Jan. 11 inside the NSU Event Center. Bryton Hobbs, the MIAA's leading scorer, led with 20 points. Jeremy McDonald reached a season-high 14 points, while Dalen Qualls scored 12 and Curtis Evans added 11. The RiverHawks were held to 36.5 percent shooting (19-for-52), which tied their lowest output of the season. The team shot 35 percent (7-for-20) from behind the three-point line and 71 percent (20-for-28) at the free-throw line. MSSU hit 50 percent (28-for-56) from the field, 46 percent (6-for-13) from distance and 75 percent (18-for-24) at the charity stripe. The Lions led in rebounding (43-25), points in the paint (34-14), points off turnovers (13-9), second-chance points (17-6), bench points (32-16), and assists (17-10). MSSU was led by Slim Magee, who came off the bench to post 14 points and 10 rebounds. Jordan Talbert also tallied 14 points, while Marquis Addison and Cameron Cornelius added 10 apiece.
 
THE LAST TIME THEY MET - NWMSU 73, NSU 72
NSU 73-72 to Northwest Missouri State on Jan. 31, 2013, inside Bearcat Arena. The Bearcats came back after trailing by as many as 20 points in the opening half. Conner Crooker converted a game-winning three-point play with just 4.4 seconds remaining after Bryton Hobbs missed a pair of free throws on the other end. The RiverHawks built a 42-22 lead at the 5:42 mark of the opening half on the strength of a 73-percent shooting performance from the field. Northwest Missouri State found its rhythm and used a 15-4 run to cut the deficit to 46-37 at intermission. Crooker led all scorers with 24 points off the bench. He was 7-for-11 from the field and 9-for-9 from the free-throw line. Grant Cozad added 19 and Bryston Williams scored 17 for the Bearcats. Landon DeMasters scored a season-high 19 points on 5-of-6 shooting. He was also 9-for-10 at the free-throw line. Jermaine Bransford added 17 points for NSU. Northeastern State shot 52 percent (24-for-46) from the field, 43 percent (6-for-14) from distance and 67 percent (18-for-27) at the line.
 
HOBBS LEADS THE WAY
Senior guard Bryton Hobbs is currently leading the entire MIAA and is ninth in the nation in points per game (24.2). He is also 14th nationally in total points scored and ranks third in the league in assists (5.4) and fourth in minutes played (34.0). Hobbs has scored at least 20 points in all but two games this season. He also has two double-digit rebounding efforts and eight games with at least five helpers. He has led the RiverHawks in scoring and assists in all but one game this year. He has also led in rebounding four times, steals four times and blocks twice.
 
THE 40-POINT EXPLOSION
Bryton Hobbs became the fourth player in the MIAA to reach the 40-point plateau this season when he dropped 40 on Southwest Baptist on Jan. 9. He finished the game 10-for-18 from the field, 4-for-9 from downtown and 16-for-21 from the free-throw line. He also added nine assists and five rebounds. He played the entire game and set career highs in points scored, made field goals, made free throws, and assists. Hobbs would lead the RiverHawks to a 97-91 victory over the Bearcats. He joined Lindenwood's Tyler Ressel (41), SBU's Rashaad Brown-Peterson (40) and Nebraska-Kearney's Connor Beranek (40) as the only 40-point scorers in the MIAA this season. Ressel and Brown-Peterson both posted their totals against non-conference opponent Missouri S&T, while Beranek and Hobbs are the only two to score 40 against an MIAA foe.
 
NORTHEASTERN STATE CURRENTLY RECEIVING VOTES
Northeastern State is currently receiving 14 votes in the latest NABC/Division II national rankings released Jan. 7. NSU began the season as the No. 17-ranked team in the nation and vaulted as high as No. 10 before plummeting out of the national polls. The RiverHawks earned a top-25 rank in the first three installments.