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TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – The Northeastern State women's basketball team will stay on the road for a 5 p.m. meeting Feb. 14 against Washburn. The RiverHawks (10-11, 6-8 MIAA) and Ichabods (15-8, 7-8 MIAA) are set to meet inside Lee Arena in Topeka, Kansas.

Northeastern State leads the all-time series with Washburn 3-2. The RiverHawks won the first two meetings, including a 56-51 victory in the second round of the NCAA Championship (March 13, 2010) and a 52-43 triumph when Washburn was ranked No. 9 in the country (Jan. 19, 2013). The Ichabods won both meetings last season including a 56-52 victory in overtime (Feb. 15, 2014). NSU won 58-54 a month ago on its home floor. Northeastern State was picked eighth in the preseason MIAA coaches' poll, while WU was slated third.

NSU coach Randy Gipson enters the game with 299-158 record in 16 years at Northeastern State. His overall collegiate coaching record stands at 589-235.
 

Northeastern State's Probable Starters
F	23	Bria Pierce	5-10	Fr-HS	6.1 ppg, 3.9 rpg	Overland Park, Kan.
G	04	Fontana Tate	5-5	Sr-3L	9.3 ppg, 4.4 rpg	Muldrow, Okla.
G	05	Kate Bellamy	5-9	Jr-2L	7.7 ppg, 4.4 rpg	NSW, Australia
G	21	Chelsey Beathard	5-8	Sr-3L	10.7 ppg, 3.3 rpg	Pryor, Okla.
G	22	Sarah Sagely	5-6	Sr-1L	3.1 ppg, 1.7 rpg	West Fork, Ark.
(RV) Washburn's Probable Starters
F	24	Jayna Smith	5-10	Jr.	5.9 ppg, 6.6 rpg	Holton, Kan.
C	44	Honor Duvall	6-1	Sr.	11.7 ppg, 6.2 rpg	Lawton, Okla.
G	03	Casyn Buchman	5-9	Sr.	13.4 ppg, 4.7 rpg	McPherson, Kan.
G	05	Erika Lane	5-10	So.	5.7 ppg, 1.8 rpg	Topeka, Kan.
G	20	Taylor Ignoto	5-8	Sr.	14.4 ppg, 2.5 rpg	Thousand Oaks, Calif.

SCOUTING THE ICHABODS
Washburn University is located in Topeka, Kansas, and the team competes in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association. WU is 15-8 in the 2014-15 season and has put up a 7-8 record in MIAA play. The Ichabods currently sit in seventh place in the MIAA standings. They have lost four of their last six games, with the lone victories both coming against Nebraska-Kearney (68-61 OT and 84-67). Taylor Ignoto leads the team in scoring at 14.4 ppg. Casyn Buchman is second in scoring at 13.4 ppg, and Honor Duvall (11.7 ppg, 6.2 rpg) is third in scoring and second in rebounding. The team's leading rebounder is Jayna Smith (5.9 ppg, 6.6 rpg). Washburn averages 69.0 points per game and shoots .421 as a team.
 
NSU AGAIN STUNS EMPORIA STATE
Northeastern State took down No. 9 Emporia State 58-56 in overtime Thursday night inside White Auditorium. The RiverHawks were able to avenge a 69-36 home loss to the Lady Hornets from earlier this season. NSU is now 4-2 against ESU since 2012-13, and the green and white has now beaten a ranked Lady Hornet squad each of the last three years. The victory also snapped NSU's six-game losing streak in overtime dating back to Jan. 6, 2011. Northeastern State held Emporia State to its worst shooting output of the season at 27.1 percent (19-for-70) and its second-worst effort from behind the 3-point line at 17.2 percent (5-for-29). ESU also shot just 68.4 percent (13-for-19) at the free-throw line. This marks the second-straight season that the worst shooting game of the season for the Lady Hornets came at the hands of NSU. Bria Pierce led the RiverHawks with 12 points, while Danielle Robertson contributed 10 points to the winning cause. Fontana Tate tallied eight points and nine rebounds, while Kate Bellamy posted nine points, five rebounds and a career-high five steals. NSU shot 37 percent (20-for-54) from the field, 29.4 percent (5-for-17) from distance and 65 percent (13-for-20) at the free-throw line.
 
THE LAST TIME THEY MET - NSU 58, WU 54
The RiverHawks halted a four-game slide with a 58-54 victory over Washburn on Jan. 24 inside the NSU Event Center. The 54 points by WU was the second-fewest the team had scored up to that point this season. NSU was powered by its three senior guards, as all three scored in double figures. Chelsey Beathard led the charge with 16 points (12 in the second half), Fontana Tate added 13 and Sarah Sagely chipped in 10. Northeastern State finished the game 20-for-54 (37 percent) from the field, 7-for-21 (33.3 percent) from behind the 3-point line and 11-for-18 (61.1 percent) at the free-throw line. Washburn shot 39.1 percent (18-for-46) overall, 35.3 percent (6-for-17) from distance and 85.7 percent (12-for-14) at the charity stripe. Casyn Buchman paced the Ichabods with a game-high 20 points, and Taylor Ignoto registered 13 points for the visitors. Northeastern State led in points in the paint (20-10), points off turnovers (17-12) and bench points (14-9), while also registering fewer turnovers (9-14). Washburn led in rebounds (36-32) and steals (7-5).
 
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 6-8 in league play and is tied for eighth 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 State 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 State are all slated to earn the four byes to KC.
 
NSU's GIPSON IN 16TH SEASON
NSU's Randy Gipson (Kentucky, '79) is in his 16th season as the RiverHawks head coach. He entered the year with a 289-146 record at NSU. He has recorded 14 winning seasons at Northeastern State, and he has led the program to seven appearances in the NCAA Championship. His NSU women's basketball teams have earned two NCAA Sweet 16 appearances (2004, '10), while advancing to the NCAA Second Round each of the last two seasons (2011-12). Gipson came to Northeastern State in 1999-00, and he captured six Lone Star Conference North Division Championships in a 12-year span. He also led NSU to the 2003 LSC Tournament Championship, while finishing runner up in the conference tournament on three occasions (2004, '05, '10). He has coached two All-Americans (Jasmine Webb, Taylor Lewis), one MIAA Player of the Year, two LSC Players of the Year and numerous all-conference players during his tenure at Northeastern State.The 2012-13 campaign was the first for the RiverHawks in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association, and the squad finished second in the regular season with a 14-4 league mark. The team landed in the top 10 nationally in six statistical categories, including fewest turnovers per game (3rd), fewest personal fouls per game (4th), three-point field-goal percentage (7th), assist-turnover ratio (9th), scoring defense (10th), and three-point field goals per game (10th). The 2013-14 team placed eighth overall in the conference and advanced to the MIAA Championship quarterfinals. He began his career at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M (NEO), where he spent 11 years leading the Lady Norse. He took NEO to a National Runner-up finish in 1991, and he was named Region II Coach of the Year three times.
 
GO RIVERHAWKS GEAR
Northeastern State University Athletics has partnered with Advanced-Online and has launced its new, 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.
 
NSU TRAMPLES #2 LADY HORNETS
The RiverHawks handed No. 2 Emporia State its first loss of the season with a dominant 59-44 victory on Jan. 22 inside the NSU Event Center. The RiverHawks led wire-to-wire and earned their second win over a ranked opponent after taking down then-No. 23 Fort Hays State 49-48 on Jan. 18. The Lady Hornets (17-1, 8-1 MIAA) were held to their lowest point total since scoring 42 against Pittsburg State nearly two years ago (Feb. 15, 2012). The previous season low for Emporia State was 67. ESU also posted a 24.6 shooting percentage after finishing 15 of 61 from the field. The percentage was the worst recorded in a game by the Lady Hornets since a 65-51 loss at Central Missouri on Jan. 2, 1997. Emporia State also shot 22.2 percent (4-for-18) from downtown and 62.5 percent (10-for-16) at the free-throw line. The team did not have a player score in double figures for the first time since a 64-42 loss to Washburn on Jan. 25, 1995. Desiree Wylie led with nine points, and Amber Vandiver finished with seven points and a game-high 10 rebounds. Leading scorer Laura Patrick, who entered the game averaging 15.1 ppg, was held to just eight points. Merissa Quick was averaging 11.6 ppg and she finished with just five, while Kionna Kellog averaged 10.2 ppg but was held to just four. Fontana Tate led NSU with a game- and career-high 23 points. She also registered nine rebounds. Che'Ron Lewis added 12 points and five assists. The Lady Hornets are the highest-ranked team to fall to NSU in school history. The RiverHawks have also now won three straight against ESU.