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TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – The Northeastern State women's basketball team is set to travel to Bolivar, Missouri and take on Southwest Baptist in MIAA play. The RiverHawks (7-5, 3-2 MIAA) will meet the Bearcats (5-6, 1-3 MIAA) at 5:30 p.m. Jan. 8 in the Meyer Sports Center.

This will be the 15th meeting between NSU and SBU with the RiverHawks holding an 8-6 advantage. Northeastern State has won the last two meetings, earning a 59-43 victory in Bolivar in the 2012-13 season and taking last year's home game by a score of 60-47. Northeastern State was picked eighth in the preseason MIAA coaches' poll, while SBU was slated 12th.
 

(RV) Northeastern State's Probable Starters
F	23	Bria Pierce	5-10	Fr-HS	3.4 ppg, 4.2 rpg	Overland Park, Kan.
F	34	Mya Walker	5-7	So-1L	7.8 ppg, 3.4 rpg	Columbus, Ohio
G	4	Fontana Tate	5-5	Sr-3L	10.8 ppg, 3.6 rpg	Muldrow, Okla.
G	5	Kate Bellamy	5-9	Jr-2L	9.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg	New South Wales, Australia
G	21	Chelsey Beathard	5-8	Sr-3L	10.9 ppg, 3.6 rpg	Pryor, Okla.
Southwest Baptist's Probable Starters
F	15	Ashlee Pitts	5-9	Jr.	4.1 ppg, 3.6 rpg	Tulsa, Okla.
F	40	Alexis Edwards	6-1	So.	3.0 ppg, 3.1 rpg	Republic, Mo.
G	1	Leann Terrill	5-6	Jr.	6.8 ppg, 3.5 rpg	Seymour, Mo.
G	10	Dilonna Johnson	5-7	Jr.	10.2 ppg, 2.8 apg	Milwaukee, Wisc.
G	12	Lissette Plasencia	5-9	Sr.	4.5 ppg, 2.2 rpg	Lima, Peru

 
SCOUTING THE BEARCATS
Southwest Baptist University is located in Bolivar, Missouri, and the team competes in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association. The Bearcats are 5-6 in the 2014-15 season and have put up a 1-3 record in MIAA play. SBU lost 72-56 to Fort Hays State in their most recent game. They earned their conference victory on the road at Nebraska Kearney. Brook Duncan (13.2 ppg, 4.7 rpg) leads the team in scoring and rebounding. Dilonna Johnson (10.2 ppg, 2.3 rpg) and Megan Rosenbohm (10.0 ppg, 2.1 rpg) also average double-figure scoring. Southwest Baptist averages 67.5 points per game and shoots .390 as a team.
 
THE LAST TIME OUT – (RV) NSU 59, NWMSU 45
Northeastern State recorded a 59-45 victory over Northwest Missouri State Jan. 5 inside the NSU Event Center. NSU held NWMSU to just 14 points in the first half, which was the fewest the Bearcats have scored in the opening half of a game since the season opener of the 2013-14 campaign. Junior guard Kate Bellamy led NSU with 10 points. Six other members of the team contributed at least six points. The RiverHawks shot 40 percent (22-for-55) from the field, 25.9 percent (7-for-27) from behind the 3-point line and were a perfect 8-for-8 at the free-throw line. Northwest Missouri State shot just 27.6 percent (16-for-58) overall, 21.4 percent (3-for-14) from deep and 52.6 percent (10-for-19) at the charity stripe. The Bearcats were led by Shelby Mustain's 11 points and career-high 12 rebounds. NWMSU outrebounded NSU 43-38 and led in second-chance points 12-8. NSU led in fewer turnovers (13-17), points off turnovers (24-8) and fast-break points (6-0).
 
THE LAST TIME THEY MET – NSU 60, SBU 47
Northeastern State used a strong defensive effort to defeat Southwest Baptist 60-47 Jan. 9, 2014 inside the NSU Event Center. The RiverHawks were competing in their first contest of 2014, and they held the Bearcats to their lowest shooting percentage since Jan. 22, 2011. NSU was led by forward Che'Ron Lewis, who finished with 18 points and eight rebounds. Forward Carrington Fox registered her first career double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Northeastern State shot 38 percent (18-for-48) from the field, 27 percent (4-for-15) from downtown and 80 percent (20-for-25) at the line. Southwest Baptist shot 22 percent (15-for-67) from the field, 19 percent (5-for-26) from beyond the arc and 86 percent (12-for-14). Jacqui Zelenka and Leann Lansdown both paced the visitors with 13 points each. NSU outrebounded SBU 45-42 and held a 26-9 advantage in bench points. The 47 points scored by the Bearcats was the fewest since NSU held the team to 43 last season (Jan. 12, 2013). Northeastern State led 25-21 at halftime and stretched its lead out to 34-24 eight minutes into the second half. SBU got to within six at 51-45 with 2:17 to play, but NSU used a 9-2 run to close the game and earn the winning 13-point margin.
 
MIAA CHAMPIONSHIP IN KC
The 2015 MIAA Women'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 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. Both NSU basketball programs have advanced to the MIAA Championship Quarterfinals in Kansas City in each of their first two years in the league.
 
RIVERHAWKS BACK IN THE NATIONAL POLLS
The NSU women's basketball team received 19 votes in this week's USA Today Division II Women's Basketball Top 25 Coaches' Polls, it was announced January 6. This marks the third time NSU received votes, as the RiverHawks picked up 17 votes on both December 16 and November 25. Northeastern State is currently 7-5 on the season.
 
SENIORS AT HOME
Chelsey Beathard and Fontana Tate are the two four-year seniors on the squad this year. They posted a 22-1 record inside Jack Dobbins Field House, and they are currently 14-6 inside the NSU Event Center. The RiverHawks seniors have tallied a 36-7 record at home in their careers.
 
THE STARTING FIVE
Randy Gipson-coached teams are usually known for consistency at the top of the lineup. The past two years, however, have been much different for Northeastern State. The team utilized 10 different starting lineups last season and has used nine different lineups in the first 12 games in 2014-15. Fontana Tate leads NSU with 53 career starts, and Chelsey Beathard is second on the squad with 37 starts. Kate Bellamy (29) and Sarah Sagely (14) also own double-digit starts. Mya Walker (5), Sara Fountain (5), Alexis Hill (3), Bria Pierce (2) and Danielle Robertson (1) have also started games for NSU this season.
 
NSU SELECTED 8TH IN MIAA PRESEASON POLLS
The Northeastern State women's basketball team was picked to finish eighth in the MIAA by the league coaches. The RiverHawks earned 83 points and are projected to finish one place higher than their ninth-place effort from a season ago. Emporia State topped the coaches' poll with 160 points total and five first-place votes. Northeastern State finished 11-17 last season and 7-12 in the MIAA. The RiverHawks return their two top scorers in senior guards Fontana Tate (11.2 ppg) and Chelsey Beathard (9.0 ppg).
 
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