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TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – The Northeastern State women's basketball team is set to travel to Emporia, Kansas, to meet No. 9 Emporia State in MIAA play. The RiverHawks (9-11, 5-8 MIAA) will meet the Hornets (18-3, 11-3 MIAA) at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 12 in White Auditorium.

Emporia State holds a 5-3 series advantage since the RiverHawks joined the NCAA in 1996-97. The Hornets won the first three meetings, but NSU earned the next three victories which included a season sweep in 2012-13 and taking down an ESU team that was undefeated and No. 2-ranked in the first meeting of 2013-14 (59-44). The Lady Hornets won the second meeting last year on Feb. 12, 2014 (80-61) and the matchup earlier this season on Jan. 21 (69-36). Northeastern State was picked eighth in the preseason MIAA coaches' poll, while ESU was slated first.
 

Northeastern State's Probable Starters
F	23	Bria Pierce	5-10	Fr-HS	5.7 ppg, 4.2 rpg	Overland Park, Kan.
G	04	Fontana Tate	5-5	Sr-3L	9.4 ppg, 4.2 rpg	Muldrow, Okla.
G	05	Kate Bellamy	5-9	Jr-2L	7.6 ppg, 4.4 rpg	Cambewarra, NSW, Australia
G	21	Chelsey Beathard	5-8	Sr-3L	10.9 ppg, 3.3 rpg	Pryor, Okla.
G	22	Sarah Sagely	5-6	Sr-1L	3.3 ppg, 1.7 rpg	West Fork, Ark.
#9 Emporia State's Probable Starters
F	30	Kathryn Flott	6-1	So.	5.7 ppg, 5.9 rpg	Olpe, Kan.
F	35	Merissa Quick	6-3	Sr.	10.8 ppg, 6.9 rpg	Cheney, Kan.
G	02	Kelly Moten	5-8	So.	14.2 ppg, 4.9 rpg	Gary, Ind.
G	04	Kelsey Barnwell	5-7	Jr.	8.7 ppg, 2.0 rpg	Kansas, Okla.
G	24	Addie Lackey	5-9	Fr.	10.8 ppg, 3.5 apg	Hillsboro, Kan.

 
SCOUTING THE LADY HORNETS
Emporia State University is located in Emporia, Kansas, and the team competes in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association. ESU is 18-3 in the 2014-15 season and has put up an 11-3 record in MIAA play. The Lady Hornets currently sit in third place in the MIAA standings. In their last four games, they have defeated Nebraska-Kearney (80-49) and Washburn (62-55) while losing twice to Fort Hays State. Kelly Moten (14.2 ppg, 4.9 rpg) leads the team in scoring. Merrisa Quick (10.8 ppg, 6.9 rpg) and Addie Lackey (10.8 ppg, 3.5 apg) also average double-figure scoring for the Lady Hornets. Emporia State averages 74.0 points per game and shoots .438 as a team.
 
THE LAST TIME OUT – UCO 62, NSU 47
Northeastern State lost 62-47 in a rivalry game to the University of Central Oklahoma Feb. 5 inside Hamilton Field House. The RiverHawks fell to 9-11 overall this season and 5-8 in MIAA play, while UCO snapped a five-game losing streak and improved to 14-8 overall and 7-6 in league play. Junior guard Kate Bellamy had 12 points to lead NSU. Fontana Tate finished with 11 points. The senior guard hit three shots from beyond the arc. NSU shot 32.7 percent (18-for-55) from the field, 26.1 percent (6-for-23) from behind the arc and 100 percent (5-for-5) at the line. UCO shot 50.0 percent (24-for-48) from the field, 31.8 percent (7-for-22) from 3-point range and 87.5 percent (7-for-8) at the charity stripe. Chelsea Robinson led the Bronchos with 15 points. Olivia Mason came off the bench and added 14 points.  Central Oklahoma outrebounded the RiverHawks 40-21. The Bronchos also held the edge in points in the paint (28-20), assists (16-8) and bench points (28-3). NSU had eight turnovers compared to UCO's 18.
 
THE LAST TIME THEY MET – #2 ESU 69, NSU 36  
Northeastern State dropped a 69-36 decision to No. 2 Emporia State Jan. 21, 2015 inside the NSU Event Center. Destiny Strange came off the bench to lead NSU with a career-high 10 points. Northeastern State shot 26.3 percent (15-for-57) overall and failed to reach 40 points for the third time this season. The team also shot just 20 percent (3-for-15) from behind the 3-point line and 37.5 percent (3-for-8) at the free-throw line. ESU shot 45.1 percent (23-for-51) from the field, 45 percent (9-for-20) from deep and 82.4 percent (14-for-17) at the line. Kelly Moten paced the Lady Hornets with 20 points. Kelsey Barnwell added 12 and Addie Lackey contributed 10. Kathryn Flott finished with a game-high 10 rebounds.
 
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.
 
IF THE SEASON WERE TO END TODAY
NSU is currently 5-8 in league play and is in ninth place in the MIAA standings. If the season were to end today, the RiverHawks would earn the No. 9 seed and would travel to No. 8 seed Missouri Western 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. Fort Hays State, Pittsburg State, Emporia State and Missouri Southern are all slated to earn the four byes to KC.
 
RIVERHAWKS IN THE NATIONAL POLLS
The NSU women's basketball team has received votes in the USA Today Division II Women's Basketball Top 25 Coaches' Polls three times this season. The RiverHawks picked up 19 votes January 6 and 17 votes on both December 16 and November 25.
 
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 12 different lineups in the first 20 games in 2014-15. Fontana Tate leads NSU with 60 career starts, and Chelsey Beathard is second on the squad with 44 starts. Kate Bellamy (33) and Sarah Sagely (17) also own double-digit starts. Sara Fountain (9), Bria Pierce (9), Mya Walker (5), Alexis Hill (5), Destiny Strange (1) and Danielle Robertson (1) have also started games for NSU this 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 15-8 inside the NSU Event Center. The RiverHawks seniors have tallied a 37-9 record at home in their careers.
 
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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