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TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – The Northeastern State men's basketball team is set to travel to Kearney, Nebraska and take on the University of Nebraska-Kearney in MIAA play. The RiverHawks (3-11, 1-6 MIAA) will meet the Lopers (8-4, 4-3 MIAA) at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 15 in the Health & Sports Center.

The series between Northeastern State and Nebraska-Kearney is tied 2-2 since NSU joined the NCAA in 1996-97. The RiverHawks and Lopers first met in the NCAA Elite Eight on March 26, 2003, with NSU winning 94-75 en route to winning the 2003 NCAA Division II National Championship. UNK won the first MIAA matchup in 2013 (60-57). The two teams split last season, with NSU taking the victory at home 90-85 and the Lopers winning 84-65 in Kearney. Northeastern State was picked 12th in the preseason MIAA coaches' poll, while UNK was slated seventh.
 

Northeastern State's Probable Starters
F	32	Dakota Caudill	6-6, 220	Jr-RS	7.0 ppg, 4.4 rpg	Claremore, Okla.
F	42	Landon DeMasters	6-4, 200	Sr-2L	6.1 ppg, 2.8 rpg	Van Alstyne, Texas
G	5	Keon Littleton	6-1, 185	Sr-1L	10.1 ppg, 5.8 rpg	DeSoto, Texas
G	20	Trey Mohair	6-0, 190	Jr-TR	8.4 ppg, 2.4 apg	Denton, Texas
G	25	Demone Harrison	6-3, 185	Jr-TR	12.3 ppg, 3.4 rpg	Houston, Texas
Nebraska-Kearney's Probable Starters
F	31	Trey Lansman	6-7, 210	Fr.	9.7 ppg, 3.2 rpg	Harlan, Iowa
F	32	Ethan Brozek	6-7, 215	Jr.	18.8 ppg, 3.2 rpg	Norfolk, Neb.
F	44	Connor Beranek	6-6, 190	Jr.	16.3 ppg, 7.5 rpg	Ravenna, Neb.
G	15	Isaiah McKay	6-2, 170	Fr.	9.5 ppg, 1.4 rpg	Brooklyn Park, Minn.
G	34	Ty Danielson	6-3, 170	Fr.	8.5 ppg, 2.9 rpg	York, Neb.

 
SCOUTING THE LOPERS
University of Nebraska-Kearney is located in Kearney, Nebraska and the team competes in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association. The Lopers are 8-4 in the 2014-15 season and have put up a 4-3 record in MIAA play. Most recently, UNK has lost to Northwest Missouri State (80-48) and Missouri Western (81-77). Ethan Brozek (18.8 ppg, 8.7 rpg) leads the Lopers in scoring and rebounding. Connor Beranek (16.3 ppg, 7.5 rpg) is second in both categories. Nebraska-Kearney averages 77.2 points per game and shoots .477 as a team.
 
THE LAST TIME OUT – MSSU 90, NSU 54
Northeastern State lost 90-54 to Missouri Southern State Jan. 10 inside Leggett & Platt Athletic Center. NSU was led by senior forward Landon DeMasters, who tied his season high with 13 points and led the team in scoring for the first time this season. DeMasters was 2-for-4 from beyond the arc and went 7 of 10 from the free throw line in a season-high 38 minutes. Junior forward Dakota Caudill and junior guard Demone Harrison both finished with 10 points. Caudill added eight rebounds. NSU shot 23.6 percent (13-for-55) from the field, 20.0 percent (5-for-25) from behind the arc and 67.6 percent (23-for-34) at the line. MSSU shot 49.0 percent (25-for-51) from the field, 50 percent (11-for-22) from 3-point range and 76.3 percent (29-for-38) at the charity stripe. Austin Wright led the Lions with 28 points on nine made 3-pointers. Charlie Brown added 17 points off the bench and Taevaunn Prince scored 11. NSU scored the first basket for the second-straight game. The contest was back and forth until the score was 19-18 with 7:14 to play in the first half in favor of the home team. The Lions went on a 19-0 run to end the half. Missouri Southern State outrebounded the RiverHawks 48-29. The Lions also held the edge in points in the paint (26-15) and steals (10-3).
 
THE LAST TIME THEY MET – UNK 84, NSU 65
Northeastern State lost 84-65 to Nebraska-Kearney Feb. 26, 2014 inside the Health & Sports Center. NSU was outrebounded 45-20. The 25-rebound margin is the largest discrepancy in the Larry Gipson era (since 1997-98). UNK also held a 20-0 advantage in points in the paint and a 42-32 edge in points in the paint. Northeastern State was led by guard Bryton Hobbs, who came off the bench to score 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting. He also had eight rebounds and five assists. Guard Michael Harmon added 16 points. The RiverHawks shot 44.4 percent (24-for-54) from the field, 25 percent (4-for-16) from behind the arc and 68.4 percent (13-for-19) at the free-throw line. The Lopers shot 53.4 percent (31-for-58) from the field, 41.7 percent (5-for-12) from downtown and 77.3 percent (17-for-22) at the charity stripe. Mike Dentlinger paced UNK with 22 points. Connor Beranek added 17 and Davion Pearson chipped in 11. Ethan Brozek registered a double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds. Nebraska-Kearney jumped out to a 9-0 lead and never trailed in the contest. UNK held a 42-33 lead at halftime and blew the game open in the second half.
 
MIAA CHAMPIONSHIP IN KC
The 2015 MIAA Men's Basketball Championship is set to take place inside Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. 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 2, 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 5-8. Both NSU basketball programs have advanced to the MIAA Championship Quarterfinals in Kansas City in each of their first two years in the league.
 
NSU SELECTED 12TH IN MIAA PRESEASON POLLS
The Northeastern State men's basketball team was picked to finish 12th in the MIAA by the league coaches. The RiverHawks earned 39 points and are projected to finish just inside the cut line for the MIAA Championship tournament in May. Central Missouri topped the coaches' poll with 151 points total and 10 first-place votes a year removed from winning the national championship. Northeastern State finished 16-13 last season and 9-10 in the MIAA. NSU also lost head coach Larry Gipson, who retired at the end of the season. Senior forward Landon DeMasters is the leading returning scorer at 8.1 points per game and 3.8 rebounds per game last season.
 
GO RIVERHAWKS GEAR
Northeastern State University Athletics has partnered with Advanced-Online for the past two years with a 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.
 
-GoRiverHawksGo.com-