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TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – The Northeastern State men's basketball team will look to end a long losing streak at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 12 against Emporia State inside White Auditorium (5,000). The RiverHawks (11-9, 6-7 MIAA) are 2-5 on the road this season and have lost seven of their last eight games, while the Hornets (14-10, 7-7 MIAA) have lost four in a row but are 9-2 at home.

ESU owns a 4-3 record over NSU since Northeastern State joined the NCAA in 1996-97. One of those four wins includes a 72-67 triumph over NSU on Jan. 22 of this year. The two squads split meetings during the 2005-06 season, the Hornets took both contests in 2006-07 and the RiverHawks won both games a year ago. Emporia State was selected in the preseason MIAA coaches poll to finish ninth, NSU was selected to place fourth.

Northeastern State's Probable Starters
F	10	Landon DeMasters	6-4, 200	Jr-1L	6.9 ppg, 3.9 rpg	Van Alstyne, Texas
F	15	Marcus Sheppard	6-4, 205	Sr-1L	8.8 ppg, 5.5 rpg	Vivian, La.
F	22	Curtis Evans	6-7, 215	Jr-TR	10.1 ppg, 7.5 rpg	Springdale, Ark.
G	03	Bryton Hobbs	6-0, 170	Sr-1L	24.1 ppg, 5.7 apg	St. Louis, Mo.
G	20	Dalen Qualls	6-1, 180	Jr-TR	9.8 ppg, 1.1 rpg	Stratford, Okla.
Emporia State's Probable Starters
F	01	Gavin Brown	6-5, 215	Sr.	6.5 ppg, 6.2 rpg	Junction City, Kan.
C	32	Paul Bunch	6-11, 250	Sr.	10.1 ppg, 5.9 rpg	Chicago, Ill.
G	00	Kaleb Wright	6-4, 200	Sr.	19.0 ppg, 5.3 rpg	Chicago, Ill.
G	03	Tyler Jordan	6-2, 175	Fr.	3.4 ppg, 2.7 rpg	Ballwin, Mo.
G	11	Terrence Moore	6-2, 170	So.	16.0 ppg, 4.2 rpg	Wichita, Kan.

SCOUTING THE HORNETS
Emporia State sits at 14-10 overall in the 2013-14 season and the squad is 7-7 in the MIAA. The Hornets have lost four in a row after winning five straight. They own victories this year over Central Missouri (95-77), Pittsburg State (83-75), NSU (72-67), and Central Oklahoma (92-80). Kaleb Wright leads ESU in scoring at 19.0 ppg. He also averages 5.3 rpg. Terrence Moore (16.0 ppg) and Paul Bunch (10.1 ppg, 5.9 rpg) also average double-digit figures, and Gavin Brown (6.5 ppg, 6.2 rpg) is the team's leading rebounder.
 
THE LAST TIME OUT - UCO 96, NSU 94 (2ot)
NSU lost 96-94 in double overtime to Central Oklahoma on Feb. 6 inside the NSU Event Center. The game was the first double OT session for NSU since a 76-68 home victory over Texas A&M-Commerce on Feb. 13, 2008. Bryton Hobbs finished with 35 points, nine rebounds and eight assists in a career-high 50 minutes. Michael Harmon earned his first start and finished with a season-best 23 points. He connected on 7 of 13 from behind the three-point line. Marcus Sheppard added 11 points. Northeastern State shot 45.6 percent (31-for-68) from the field, 35.1 percent (13-for-37) from behind the three-point line and 76 percent (19-for-25) at the free-throw line. UCO shot 44.9 percent (31-for-69) from the field, 37.9 percent (11-for-29) from behind the arc and 59 percent (23-for-39) at the line. Josh Gibbs led the Bronchos with 24 points and 14 rebounds. Aaron Anderson and Seth Heckart both finished with 19 points, and Cal Andrews added 15. NSU outrebounded UCO 47-39, which marked the first time in eight games that NSU has won the rebounding battle.
 
THE LAST TIME THEY MET - ESU 72, NSU 67
Northeastern State lost 72-67 to Emporia State on Jan. 22 inside the NSU Event Center. Northeastern State had four players score in double figures, led by 21 points from Bryton Hobbs. Curtis Evans added 12, while Dalen Qualls (11) and Michael Harmon (10) also hit double digits. NSU was outrebounded for the fifth-straight game (31-25), and the Hornets also led in points in the paint (36-26), assists (9-7), second-chance points (10-4), and bench points (23-14). The RiverHawks shot 42.9 percent (18-for-42) from the field, 30.8 percent (4-for-13) from downtown and 73 percent (27-for-37) at the free-throw line. Emporia State shot 48 percent (24-for-50) from the field, 26.7 percent (4-for-15) from distance and 71.4 percent (20-for-28) at the charity stripe. ESU was led by Terrence Moore's 17 points. Kaleb Wright finished with 16 points despite shooting just 3-for-13 from the field, and Paul Bunch added 11 points and eight rebounds.

MIAA CHAMPIONSHIP FAN LODGING AVAILABLE
The 2014 MIAA Basketball Championships at Kansas City's Municipal Auditorium will be held March 6-9. Fan lodging at the Downtown Marriott is now being accepted for the upcoming event. The fan rate is $137 per night and fans have until Wednesday, February 12 to receive that rate. Lodging is available here: https://resweb.passkey.com/Resweb.do?mode=welcome_ei_new&eventID=10982278. Through this website you can book, modify or cancel your hotel reservations at any time and receive updated information about the event.
 
MIAA CHAMPIONSHIP IN KC
The 2014 MIAA Men's Basketball Championship is set to take place inside Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo. The top 12 teams in the regular season all qualify for postseason play, with the top four earning byes to Kansas City. The first round will be contested at host sites March 4, with the fifth seed hosting No. 12, the sixth seed hosting No. 11, etc. Those four winners will join the top four seeds in KC March 7-9.
 
IF THE SEASON WERE TO END TODAY
NSU is currently 6-7 in the MIAA standings and is in solo ninth place. If the season were to end today, the RiverHawks would earn the No. 9 seed and would travel to Emporia, Kan., for a meeting with No. 8 seed Emporia State on March 4 in the first round of the MIAA Championship. The winner of that contest would join seven other schools in Kansas City for the remainder of the tournament. Northwest Missouri State, Central Missouri, Fort Hays State, and Missouri Southern State are all slated to earn the four byes to KC. Northeastern State defeated Nebraska-Kearney 90-85 in Tahlequah on Jan. 16.
 
HOBBS LEADS THE WAY
Senior guard Bryton Hobbs is currently leading the entire MIAA and is fifth in the nation in points per game (24.1). He is the nation's leader in free throws made and attempted, 11th nationally in total points scored, 27th in assists per game, and 35th in total assists. He is third in the MIAA in assists per game (5.7) and second in minutes played (35.5). Hobbs has scored at least 20 points in all but four games this season. He also has two double-digit rebounding efforts and 13 games with at least five helpers. He has led the RiverHawks in scoring 19 times and assists 17 times this year. He has also led in rebounding five times, steals seven times and blocks three times.