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TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – The Northeastern State women's basketball team is set to travel to Joplin, Missouri and take on Missouri Southern in MIAA play. The RiverHawks (8-5, 4-2 MIAA) will meet the Lions (8-4, 2-3 MIAA) at 1 p.m. Jan. 10 in the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.

Northeastern State owns a 7-5 record over the Lions since the RiverHawks joined the NCAA in 1996-97. Missouri Southern earned an overtime victory over NSU 80-77 last season after the green and white had won the previous four meetings. Northeastern State was picked eighth in the preseason MIAA coaches' poll, while MSSU was slated sixth. Both teams are receiving votes in this week's USA Today Division II Women's Basketball Top 25 Coaches' Polls.
 

(RV) Northeastern State's Probable Starters
F	20	Sara Fountain	5-11	Fr-HS	4.8 ppg, 3.0 rpg	Stilwell, Okla.
F	23	Bria Pierce	5-10	Fr-HS	4.8 ppg, 4.0 rpg	Overland Park, Kan.
G	4	Fontana Tate	5-5	Sr-3L	10.8 ppg, 4.7 rpg	Muldrow, Okla.
G	5	Kate Bellamy	5-9	Jr-2L	8.2 ppg, 3.8 rpg	New South Wales, Australia
G	21	Chelsey Beathard	5-8	Sr-3L	11.4 ppg, 3.6 rpg	Pryor, Okla.
(RV) Missouri Southern's Probable Starters
F	23	Jordan Dinyer	6-1	Fr.	7.3 ppg, 3.3 rpg	Hallsville, Mo.
G	2	Camila Lacerda	5-9	Sr.	5.5 ppg, 2.3 rpg	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
G	4	Nicole Hartzog	5-7	Sr.	12.8 ppg, 4.1 rpg	Beaverton, Ore.
G	22	Jolee Sharp	5-9	Sr.	4.5 ppg, 2.8 rpg	Fort Scott, Kan.
G	44	Sharese Jones	5-8	Jr.	14.4 ppg, 7.2 rpg	St. Charles, Mo.

 
SCOUTING THE LIONS
Missouri Southern State University is located in Joplin, Missouri, and the team competes in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association. The Lions are 8-4 in the 2014-15 season and have put up a 2-3 record in MIAA play. After defeating Nebraska-Kearney and Washburn to open league play MSSU has gone on a four-game skid. The Lions lost to Central Oklahoma 54-51 in their most recent game. Sharese Jones (14.4 ppg, 7.2 rpg) leads the team in scoring and rebounding. Nicole Hartzog (12.8 ppg, 4.1 rpg) also averages double-figure scoring. Missouri Southern averages 71.6 points per game and shoots .440 as a team.
 
THE LAST TIME OUT – (RV) NSU 60, SBU 45
Northeastern State defeated Southwest Baptist 60-45 Jan. 8 inside Meyer Sports Center. For the second-straight time NSU held its opponent to just 45 points in a winning performance. The last time Southwest Baptist scored 45 points or fewer in a game was two seasons ago when the RiverHawks held the Bearcats to just 43 points in Bolivar (Jan. 12, 2013). Northeastern State never trailed in the contest and had four score in double figures. Senior guard Chelsey Beathard led the way with 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting. Freshman forward Bria Pierce scored in double figures (12 points) for the first time in her career. Senior guard Fontana Tate added 11 points, while junior guard Kate Bellamy chipped in 10 points and tied her career high with eight rebounds. NSU shot 48 percent (24-for-50) from the field, 33.3 percent (4-for-12) from behind the 3-point line and 53.3 percent (8-for-15) at the free-throw stripe. SBU shot 36.5 percent (19-for-52) overall, 29.4 percent (5-for-17) from distance and 28.6 percent (2-for-7) at the line. No Bearcat scored in double figures, but Sarah Magana finished with a game-high 10 rebounds (one point). Northeastern State jumped on top 15-5 early, and the team was able to stay ahead for a 35-26 halftime advantage. NSU pushed its lead to as much as 17 points in the second half before settling for the 15-point victory. SBU was never able to get the deficit into single figures in the final 20 minutes of play. The RiverHawks committed just eight turnovers, which was four less than its previous season low. They also were able to force 15 Bearcat turnovers. NSU also outrebounded SBU 35-34.
 
THE LAST TIME THEY MET – MSSU 80, NSU 77 (OT)
Northeastern State fell 80-77 in overtime to Missouri Southern State Jan. 11, 2014 inside the NSU Event Center. Forward Che'Ron Lewis led NSU with 15 points. Guard Sarah Sagely added 13 and guard Chelsey Beathard contributed 11. Forward Carrington Fox and guard Kate Bellamy scored nine each. The RiverHawks shot 52 percent (25-for-48) from the field but only hit 33 percent (6-for-18) from three-point range and 68 percent (21-for-31) at the free-throw line. MSSU connected on 48 percent (27-for-56) from the field, 38 percent (6-for-16) from downtown and 91 percent (20-for-22) at the line. Shonte Clay led the Lions with 20 points, with Sharese Jones adding 15. Dominique Mosley scored 14, Alexis Fitzpatrick had 11 and Shawnee Phillips contributed 10. NSU led by as much as 11 in the first half, taking a 25-14 advantage with 7:27 to play in the opening stanza, but Missouri Southern was able to cut the deficit to just three (32-29) by halftime. The Lions came storming out of the locker room and forced six NSU turnovers in the opening minutes. The visitors used a 17-6 run to pull ahead by 54-44 at the 11:57 mark. The RiverHawks went on a 12-0 run that was capped by a Sagely three at 6:17 to allow the home team to regain the lead, but MSSU would again pull ahead and find a 66-61 lead with 3:35 to play. NSU used a 9-2 run to lead 70-68 with 34 seconds left, but a Clay layup with 16 seconds left tied the game and a missed three from Beathard sent the contest in overtime. Northeastern State ran out of gas in the extra session as the Lions jumped out a six-point lead before settling for the three-point triumph.
 
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.
 
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 10 different lineups in the first 13 games in 2014-15. Fontana Tate leads NSU with 54 career starts, and Chelsey Beathard is second on the squad with 38 starts. Kate Bellamy (30) and Sarah Sagely (14) also own double-digit starts. Sara Fountain (6), Mya Walker (5), Alexis Hill (3), Bria Pierce (3) 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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