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TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – The Northeastern State women's basketball team will travel to Pittsburg, Kan., for a 5:30 p.m. showdown with Pittsburg State on Jan. 29 inside John Lance Arena (3,250). The RiverHawks (9-9, 6-5 MIAA) are 1-4 on the road this season, while the Gorillas (13-6, 6-3 MIAA) are 7-1 at home.

Pittsburg State owns a 5-3 record over NSU since the RiverHawks joined the NCAA ranks in 1996-97. The two teams both won on their home courts a season ago. PSU was selected in the preseason MIAA coaches poll to finish fifth, while NSU was picked sixth.

Northeastern State's Probable Starters
F	23	Che'Ron Lewis	5-11	Fr-HS	9.2 ppg, 5.7 rpg	Cushing, Okla.
F	44	Carrington Fox	5-11	Sr-3L	6.1 ppg, 5.4 rpg	Tulsa, Okla.
G	04	Fontana Tate	5-5	Jr-2L	11.8 ppg, 4.4 rpg	Muldrow, Okla.
G	05	Kate Bellamy	5-9	So-1L	6.1 ppg, 3.8 rpg	NSW, Australia
G	21	Chelsey Beathard	5-8	Jr-2L	8.8 ppg, 3.1 rpg	Pryor, Okla.
(RV) Pittsburg State's Probable Starters
F	21	Alex Muff	6-1	Sr.	5.9 ppg, 4.9 rpg	Concordia, Kan.
F	34	Cathy Brugman	6-1	So.	6.8 ppg, 3.3 rpg	Wichita, Kan.
F	42	Lizzy Jeronimus	5-11	Jr.	19.4, ppg, 6.9 rpg	Lenexa, Kan.
G	11	Y'Cedria Devers	5-8	Sr.	4.5 ppg, 4.1 rpg	Bixby, Okla.
G	22	Alexa Bordewick	5-7	Sr.	7.8 ppg, 1.7 apg	Topeka, Kan.

 
SCOUTING THE GORILLAS
Pittsburg State owns a 13-6 record overall with a 6-3 mark in the MIAA. The Gorillas are coming off home victories over Nebraska-Kearney (83-73 OT) and Fort Hays State (74-60) following road losses to Emporia State (80-78) and Washburn (70-60). All-American Lizzy Jeronimus leads the charge for PSU, as she averages a team-leading 19.4 ppg and 6.9 rpg. Alexa Bordewick is second on the team in scoring at 7.8 ppg.
 
THE LAST TIME OUT - WU 60, NSU 37
NSU was blown out 60-37 by Washburn University on Jan. 26  inside Lee Arena. The RiverHawks saw their brief three-game win streak halted, while the Ichabods pushed their win streak to five games. The point total for NSU was the fewest in a game since scoring 35 against Southwestern Oklahoma State during the 1998-99 season. Chelsey Beathard finished with a team-high 10 points. Carrington Fox played in her 100th career game for Northeastern State. She finished with six points and three rebounds in 27 minutes. NSU shot just 27.5 percent (14-for-51) from the field, 18.2 percent (6-for-33) from behind the three-point line and 37.5 percent (3-for-8) from the free-throw line. Washburn connected on 39.6 percent (21-for-53) from the field, 40 percent (10-for-25) from behind the arc and 72.7 percent (8-for-11) at the charity stripe. Taylor Ignoto led the Ichabods with 15 points, Janelle Travis added 14 points and Brittney Lynch finished with 13 rebounds.
 
THE LAST TIME THEY MET - PSU 78, NSU 60
NSU lost 78-60 to Pittsburg State on Feb. 16, 2013 inside John Lance Arena. The RiverHawks saw a four-game win streak halted, while the Gorillas earned revenge from an earlier-season loss at the hands of NSU. Taylor Lewis exploded for 29 points to finish just one shy of her career high. She was 8-for-15 from the field, 5 of 7 from downtown and a perfect 8-for-8 at the free-throw line. She was the only member of Northeastern State to finish in double figures, and she helped lift NSU's shooting averages to 38 percent (18 of 47) from the field, 29 percent (6 of 21) from three-point land and 86 percent (18 of 21) from the line. Lauren Brown finished with 17 points and nine rebounds to pace the Gorillas. Lizzy Jeronimus also scored 17 points, Alexa Bordewick dropped 14 and Morgan Westhoff added 13. Pittsburg State shot 56 percent (30 of 54) from the field, 50 percent (9 of 18) from distance and 69 percent (9 of 13) at the line.
 
NSU TRAMPLES #2 LADY HORNETS
The RiverHawks handed No. 2 Emporia State its first loss of the season with a dominant 59-44 victory on Jan. 22 inside the NSU Event Center. The RiverHawks led wire-to-wire and earned their second win over a ranked opponent after taking down then-No. 23 Fort Hays State 49-48 on Jan. 18. The Lady Hornets (17-1, 8-1 MIAA) were held to their lowest point total since scoring 42 against Pittsburg State nearly two years ago (Feb. 15, 2012). The previous season low for Emporia State was 67. ESU also posted a 24.6 shooting percentage after finishing 15 of 61 from the field. The percentage was the worst recorded in a game by the Lady Hornets since a 65-51 loss at Central Missouri on Jan. 2, 1997. Emporia State also shot 22.2 percent (4-for-18) from downtown and 62.5 percent (10-for-16) at the free-throw line. The team did not have a player score in double figures for the first time since a 64-42 loss to Washburn on Jan. 25, 1995. Desiree Wylie led with nine points, and Amber Vandiver finished with seven points and a game-high 10 rebounds. Leading scorer Laura Patrick, who entered the game averaging 15.1 ppg, was held to just eight points. Merissa Quick was averaging 11.6 ppg and she finished with just five, while Kionna Kellog averaged 10.2 ppg but was held to just four. Fontana Tate led NSU with a game- and career-high 23 points. She also registered nine rebounds. Che'Ron Lewis added 12 points and five assists. The Lady Hornets are the highest-ranked team to fall to NSU in school history. The RiverHawks have also now won three straight against ESU.
 
GIPSON'S UNCHARTED TERRITORY
Northeastern State currently sits at 9-9 on the season and could potentially finish with a losing record for the first time since the 1998-99 campaign (6-19 that year). NSU coach Randy Gipson took over the reins the following year and has led the RiverHawks to 14-straight winning seasons. He also coached at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M prior to coming to Tahlequah and had winning seasons all nine years in Miami. This would mark the first time in Gipson's historic career that he was unable to lead a team to a winning record.
 
FOX SETS BLOCKS RECORD
Carrington Fox registered a career-high eight blocks on Jan. 16 in a win over Nebraska-Kearney. The block total tied the school record for most in a single game (Kathy Brock vs. John Brown on Dec. 8, 1983). She also finished with nine points, 11 rebounds and five assists. Fox currently has 111 career blocks, and she is 10 shy of tying Gaile Cook (1989-91) for most blocks in a career in Northeastern State history. She has played in 100 career games, with her 100th appearance coming on the road against Washburn on Jan. 25.
 
THE STARTING FIVE
Randy Gipson-coached teams are usually known for consistency at the top of the lineup. This year, however, has been much different for Northeastern State as the team has already utilized 10 different starting lineups through the first 18 games of the season. There have been three starting lineups that have been used more than once. The starting lineup that has been used the most includes Fontana Tate, Chelsey Beathard, Sarah Sagely, Che'Ron Lewis and Carrington Fox. NSU is 3-2 in games started by those five. Beathard owns the most starts this season with 17. Others to earn at least one start this year are Kate Bellamy, Courtney Cowan and Jamie Jackson. Mya Walker is the only member of the team who has yet to start a game this season.
 
NSU's GIPSON IN 15TH SEASON
NSU's Randy Gipson (Kentucky, '79) is in his 15th season as the RiverHawks head coach. He entered the year with a 278-129 record at NSU. He has never recorded a losing season in his 14 prior campaigns at Northeastern State, and he has led the program to seven appearances in the NCAA Championship. His NSU women's basketball teams have earned two NCAA Sweet 16 appearances (2004, '10), while advancing to the NCAA Second Round each of the last two seasons (2011-12). Gipson came to Northeastern State in 1999-00, and he captured six Lone Star Conference North Division Championships in a 12-year span. He also led NSU to the 2003 LSC Tournament Championship, while finishing runner up in the conference tournament on three occasions (2004, '05, '10). He has coached two All-Americans (Jasmine Webb, Taylor Lewis), one MIAA Player of the Year, two LSC Players of the Year and numerous all-conference players during his tenure at Northeastern State.The 2012-13 campaign was the first for the RiverHawks in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association, and the squad finished second in the regular season with a 14-4 league mark. The team landed in the top 10 nationally in six statistical categories, including fewest turnovers per game (3rd), fewest personal fouls per game (4th), three-point field-goal percentage (7th), assist-turnover ratio (9th), scoring defense (10th), and three-point field goals per game (10th). He began his career at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M (NEO), where he spent 11 years leading the Lady Norse. He took NEO to a National Runner-up finish in 1991, and he was named Region II Coach of the Year three times.
 
GO RIVERHAWKS GEAR
Northeastern State University Athletics has partnered with Advanced-Online and has launced its new, one-of-a-kind online shopping site, goriverhawksgear.com. NSU fans have another avenue for acquiring Northeastern State apparel and accessories. The store is loaded with options for fans of all ages, ranging from T-shirts, polos and sweatshirts, to home office supplies, drinkware and kitchen essentials. Every item is branded with official Northeastern State athletics and university logos, and select RiverHawks gear and accessories are customizable. The new online store can be accessed by simply visiting www.goriverhawksgear.com. The shop can also be viewed by clicking on the shopping cart at the top right of www.goriverhawksgo.com, the static graphic underneath the main picture or the rotating horizontal carousel just above the video player.