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TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – The Northeastern State men's basketball team will host Pittsburg State in MIAA play. The RiverHawks (5-13, 3-8 MIAA) will meet the Gorillas (11-7, 7-3 MIAA) at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 28 in the NSU Event Center.

PSU is 44-22 all-time against NSU, with the two squads splitting the series in each of the last three years. The RiverHawks earned a 61-60 victory over the Gorillas on a game-winning buzzer beater last year (Feb. 19, 2014). Northeastern State was picked 12th in the preseason MIAA coaches' poll, while Pittsburg State was slated 10th.
 

Northeastern State's Probable Starters
F	10	C.J. Winzer	6-5, 195	Fr-HS	4.9 ppg, 3.1 rpg	Elmo, Texas
F	32	Dakota Caudill	6-6, 220	Jr-RS	9.3 ppg, 4.4 rpg	Claremore, Okla.
G	00	Amir Gilliam	6-0, 185	Sr-1L	3.9 ppg, 2.4 rpg	Newark, N.J.
G	20	Trey Mohair	6-0, 190	Jr-TR	8.8 ppg, 2.4 apg	Denton, Texas
G	23	Montre' Williams	5-10, 160	Fr-HS	6.4 ppg, 2.2 rpg	Copperas Cove, Texas
Pittsburg State's Probable Starters
F	24	Trevor Gregory	6-7, 235	So-1L	6.2 ppg, 4.0 rpg	Lee's Summit, Mo.
F	33	Connor Kjer	6-6, 220	Sr-1L	5.6 ppg, 2.8 rpg	La Habra, Calif.
G	03	Javis Flynn	5-10, 170	Jr-TR	6.1 ppg, 3.5 rpg	Watonga, Okla.
G	04	Josiah Gustafson	6-6, 190	So-1L	16.4 ppg, 3.5 rpg	Omaha, Neb.
G	05	Devon Branch	6-6, 180	Sr-1L	14.7 ppg, 4.0 rpg	Aberdeen, Md.

 
SCOUTING THE GORILLAS                    
Pittsburg State University is located in Pittsburg, Kansas and the team competes in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association. The Gorillas are 11-7 in the 2014-15 season and have put up a 7-3 record in MIAA play. After losing to Nebraska-Kearney (68-64) on Jan. 22, PSU defeated Fort Hays State (69-64) in their most recent game. Josiah Gustafson (16.4 ppg, 3.5 rpg) leads the Gorillas in scoring. Devon Branch (14.7 ppg, 4.0 rpg) also averages double-figure scoring while Lamine Dieng (9.5 ppg, 5.2 rpg) leads the squad in rebounding. Pittsburg State averages 69.8 points per game and shoots .486 as a team.
 
THE LAST TIME OUT – NSU 80, WU 73
Northeastern State picked up its second-straight victory after topping Washburn 80-73 Saturday afternoon inside the NSU Event Center. Senior guard Keon Littleton powered NSU's offense with 23 points and a career-high 14 rebounds for his fourth double-double of the season. He also added four assists and was 5-for-5 from downtown in the contest. Junior guard Trey Mohair made all 10 free-throw attempts en route to a 17-point outing. Junior forward Dakota Caudill tallied 12 points, while freshman forward C.J. Winzer chipped in 10. Northeastern State shot 50 percent (23-for-46) from the field, 52.2 percent (12-for-23) from behind the 3-point arc and 22-for-28 (78.6 percent) at the free-throw line. All three marks were in the top four shooting performances for NSU this season. Washburn shot 49.1 percent (27-for-55) overall, 45 percent (9-for-20) from behind the 3-point line and 58.8 percent (10-for-17) at the line. Alex North paced the visitors with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Kyle Wiggins added 16 points before fouling out, and David Salach scored 11 off the bench. NSU was outrebounded 30-29 but led in points off turnovers (10-6) and bench points (31-17).
 
THE LAST TIME THEY MET – NSU 61, PSU 60
Northeastern State sent Larry Gipson out on a high note by defeating Pittsburg State 61-60 Feb. 19, 2014 inside the NSU Event Center. The legendary coach will be retiring at the end of the season, and he coached his final regular-season home game. The RiverHawks trailed for the majority of the contest, but a contested step-back 3-point shot from Bryton Hobbs at the buzzer lifted the home team over the Gorillas. Hobbs finished with a game-high 22 points. He also added seven assists and six rebounds. Marcus Sheppard compiled seven points and a career-high 11 rebounds. He also added four blocks in 40 minutes on Senior Night. Both Hobbs and Sheppard were honored prior to the contest. Curtis Evans contributed 11 points to the winning cause. Northeastern State shot 23-for-55 (41.8 percent) from the field, 8-for-26 (30.8 percent) from downtown and 7-for-8 (87.5 percent) at the free-throw line. Pittsburg State shot 44.6 percent (25-for-56) from the field, 41.2 percent (7-for-17) from behind the three-point line and 100 percent (3-for-3) from the line. The Gorillas were led by Jake Bullard, who finished with 14 points. Trevor Gregory tallied 10 for the visitors.
 
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.
 
TICKETS REQUIRED FOR ENTRY IN 2014-15
All fans wishing to attend an NSU home basketball contest this season will be required to show a ticket prior to entering the facilities. NSU students and faculty/staff will still be allowed free admittance, but NSU ID's will no longer be accepted as a form of entry. Tickets can be purchased at NSU's ticketing Web site, goriverhawkstickets.com. NSU students and faculty/staff can access goriverhawkstickets.com and secure their free tickets (either printable or downloaded to your smart phone) through their goNSU accounts. For questions regarding ticket options, please contact Brynn Hamner at 918.444.3901.
 
 
-GoRiverHawksGo.com-