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TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – The Northeastern State women's basketball team heads to Emporia, Kan., for a midweek meeting with No. 7 Emporia State at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 12 inside White Auditorium (5,000). The RiverHawks (10-10, 7-6 MIAA) are 1-5 on the road and 1-7 away from the NSU Event Center. The Lady Hornets (21-2, 12-2 MIAA) are 12-0 at home this season.

Northeastern State is 3-3 against Emporia State since the RiverHawks joined the NCAA in 1996-97. NSU is on a three-game win streak over the Lady Hornets, earning a season sweep last year and picking up a 59-44 triumph over then-undefeated and No. 2-ranked ESU on Jan. 22 in Tahlequah. ESU took the first meeting, a 76-45 decision in the 2010 NCAA Sweet 16. The Lady Hornets also swept a home-and-home series in 2011-12. ESU was selected in the preseason MIAA coaches poll to win the league, while NSU was picked sixth.

Northeastern State's Probable Starters
F	23	Che'Ron Lewis	5-11	Fr-HS	9.1 ppg, 5.7 rpg	Cushing, Okla.
F	44	Carrington Fox	5-11	Sr-3L	6.3 ppg, 5.4 rpg	Tulsa, Okla.
G	04	Fontana Tate	5-5	Jr-2L	11.8 ppg, 4.3 rpg	Muldrow, Okla.
G	05	Kate Bellamy	5-9	So-1L	6.3 ppg, 3.9 rpg	NSW, Australia
G	21	Chelsey Beathard	5-8	Jr-2L	9.1 ppg, 3.2 rpg	Pryor, Okla.
#7 Emporia State's Probable Starters
F	05	Kionna Kellog	6-1	Sr.	9.7 ppg, 6.0 rpg	Ames, Iowa
F	35	Merissa Quick	6-3	Jr.	11.3 ppg, 7.3 rpg	Cheney, Kan.
G	03	Rheanna Egli	5-8	Sr.	8.0 ppg, 3.7 apg	Ankeny, Iowa
G	04	Laura Patrick	5-10	Sr.	14.5 ppg, 4.8 rpg	Hutchinson, Kan.
G	10	Haley Parker	5-8	Sr.	6.2 ppg, 2.8 apg	Lawrence, Kan.

SCOUTING THE LADY HORNETS
Emporia State sits comfortably atop the MIAA with a 21-2 overall record and a 12-2 mark in the league. ESU is on a three-game win streak after a 1-2 stretch that started with a loss to NSU. The Lady Hornets started the season 17-0 and were ranked No. 2 in the nation. Laura Patrick leads the team in scoring at 14.5 ppg, and Merissa Quick (11.3 ppg, 6.9 rpg) is the only other member of the squad averaging double figures. Desiree Wylie (7.3 ppg, 7.8 rpg) and Amber Vandiver (8.3 ppg, 7.3 rpg) are the top two rebounders.
 
THE LAST TIME OUT - NSU 63, UCO 61
Northeastern State staved off a late comeback to defeat rival Central Oklahoma 63-61 on Feb. 6 inside the NSU Event Center. Fontana Tate hit the game-winning three with 10 seconds to play. She led NSU with 15 points. Mya Walker finished with a season-best 14 points. Carrington Fox filled the stat sheet with 10 points, eight rebounds, seven blocks, and five assists in 33 minutes. She now has 118 career blocks and is three shy of tying NSU's school record for career blocks held by Gaile Cook (1989-91). NSU shot 44.4 percent (20-for-45) from the field, 33.3 percent (7-for-21) from behind the three-point line and 69.6 percent (16-for-23) at the free-throw line. UCO finished 19-for-57 (33.3 percent) from the field, 7-for-24 (29.2 percent) from the arc and 16-for-22 (72.7 percent) at the line. Jill Bryan paced the visitors with 16 points, and Olivia Mason added 12 points and 11 rebounds.
 
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.
 
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 Women'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 3, 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 6, 8-9.
 
IF THE SEASON WERE TO END TODAY
NSU is currently 7-6 in the MIAA standings and are in solo seventh place. If the season were to end today, the RiverHawks would earn the No. 7 seed and would play host to No. 10 seed Central Oklahoma on March 3 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. Emporia State, Central Missouri, Pittsburg State, and Fort Hays State are all slated to earn the four byes to KC. Northeastern State defeated Central Oklahoma 63-61 in Tahlequah on Feb. 6.
 
GIPSON'S UNCHARTED TERRITORY
Northeastern State currently sits at 10-10 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 118 career blocks, and she is three shy of tying Gaile Cook (1989-91) for most blocks in a career in Northeastern State history. She has played in 102 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 utilized 10 different starting lineups through the first 20 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 last five games includes Fontana Tate, Chelsey Beathard, Kate Bellamy, Che'Ron Lewis, and Carrington Fox. NSU is 3-2 in games started by those five. Beathard owns the most starts this season with 19. Others to earn at least one start this year are Sarah Sagely, Courtney Cowan and Jamie Jackson. Mya Walker is the only member of the team who has yet to start a game this season.