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TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – The Northeastern State women's basketball team will close out the regular season on a three-game road trip, which begins at 1:30 p.m. Feb. 22 against Central Oklahoma inside Hamilton Field House.

The RiverHawks (10-13, 7-9 MIAA) are 1-6 on the road this season, while the Bronchos (10-13, 5-11 MIAA) are 6-5 on home. NSU and UCO have met 33 times in the Randy Gipson era (since 1999), and the RiverHawks own a 23-10 record in that time frame. The green and white swept a home-and-home series last year and is 10-3 in the last 13 matchups. UCO was selected in the preseason MIAA coaches poll to finish 11th, while NSU was picked sixth.

Northeastern State's Probable Starters
F	23	Che'Ron Lewis	5-11	Fr-HS	8.7 ppg, 5.8 rpg	Cushing, Okla.
F	44	Carrington Fox	5-11	Sr-3L	6.1 ppg, 5.3 rpg	Tulsa, Okla.
G	04	Fontana Tate	5-5	Jr-2L	11.0 ppg, 4.2 rpg	Muldrow, Okla.
G	05	Kate Bellamy	5-9	So-1L	6.6 ppg, 3.8 rpg	NSW, Australia
G	21	Chelsey Beathard	5-8	Jr-2L	9.5 ppg, 3.0 rpg	Pryor, Okla.
Central Oklahoma's Probable Starters
F	21	Julia Mason	5-11	So.	10.9 ppg, 5.3 rpg	Fairview, Okla.
G	01	Jill Bryan	5-10	Sr.	13.0 ppg, 4.7 rpg	Copan, Okla.
G	05	Britney Morgan	5-5	Sr.	9.2 ppg, 2.8 apg	Pawnee, Okla.
G	11	Marley Anderson	5-5	Fr.	1.6 ppg, 1.2 rpg	Snyder, Okla.
G	25	Olivia Mason	5-11	Fr.	9.2 ppg, 6.8 rpg	Fairview, Okla.

 
SCOUTING THE BRONCHOS
Central Oklahoma currently sits at 10-13 overall and 5-11 in the MIAA. The Bronchos have lost their last seven games, which includes a 63-61 setback to Northeastern State on Feb. 6 in Tahlequah. UCO's last victory came on Jan. 18 against Nebraska-Kearney (82-70). Jill Bryan (13.0 ppg, 4.7 rpg) is the team's leading scorer and is also third in rebounding. Olivia Mason (9.2 ppg, 6.8 rpg) leads UCO in rebounding, and Julia Mason (10.9 ppg, 5.3 rpg) is second in both categories.
 
THE LAST TIME OUT - PSU 63, NSU 46
NSU lost 63-46 to Pittsburg State in the regular-season home finale Feb. 19 inside the NSU Event Center. Chelsey Beathard paced NSU with 14 points. Carrington Fox finished with 11 points, seven rebounds, two assists, two steals, and a block on Senior Night. She was honored following the conclusion of the contest. NSU shot 35.6 percent (16-for-45) from the field, 33.3 percent (4-for-12) from downtown and 45.5 percent (10-for-22) at the free-throw line. PSU connected on 43.9 percent (25-for-57) from the field, 33.3 percent (4-for-12) from behind the three-point line and 69.2 percent (9-for-13) at the line. Cathy Brugman led Pitt State with 13 points, and Antqunita Reed and Lizzy Jeronimus both added 12.
 
THE LAST TIME THEY MET - 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. 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.
 
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 7-9 in the MIAA standings and are in solo eighth place. If the season were to end today, the RiverHawks would earn the No. 8 seed and would play host to No. 9 seed Northwest Missouri State 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 Missouri Southern State are slated to earn the four byes to KC. Northeastern State lost to Northwest Missouri State 57-51 in overtime in Maryville on Jan. 13.
 
GIPSON'S UNCHARTED TERRITORY
Northeastern State currently sits at 10-13 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.
 
AN HISTORIC DEFENSIVE EFFORT
The RiverHawks held both Arkansas-Fort Smith and Southeastern Oklahoma State to 39 points on Nov. 26 and No. 30, respectively. The total for SEOSU was the lowest since Feb. 24, 2005, and the total for the Lady Lions was the lowest for the team in its NCAA history. This was the first time since Feb. 24-26, 2005 that NSU has held back-to-back opponents to fewer than 40 points.
 
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 125 career blocks and now owns the school record that was previously held by Gaile Cook (1989-91). Fox set the all-time career blocks record with a six-block effort on Feb. 15 at home against Washburn. She has played in 105 career games, with her 100th appearance coming on the road against the Ichabods 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 23 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 seven games includes Fontana Tate, Chelsey Beathard, Kate Bellamy, Che'Ron Lewis, and Carrington Fox. NSU is 3-5 in games started by those five. Beathard owns the most starts this season with 21. 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.