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TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – The Northeastern State women's basketball team is set to travel to Pittsburg, Kansas, to meet No. 7 Pittsburg State in MIAA play. The RiverHawks (10-12, 6-9 MIAA) will meet the Gorillas (23-3, 13-2 MIAA) at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 18 in John Lance Arena.

Pittsburg State holds a 7-3 series record over NSU since the RiverHawks joined the NCAA in 1996-96. The two teams both won on their home courts in 2012-13, and the Gorillas took both matchups a season ago. Pittsburg State won the first matchup this year in Tahlequah 57-48 (Jan. 28). Northeastern State was picked eighth in the preseason MIAA coaches' poll, while PSU was slated second.
 

Northeastern State's Probable Starters
F	23	Bria Pierce	5-10	Fr-HS	6.5 ppg, 3.9 rpg	Overland Park, Kan.
G	04	Fontana Tate	5-5	Sr-3L	9.3 ppg, 4.2 rpg	Muldrow, Okla.
G	05	Kate Bellamy	5-9	Jr-2L	7.5 ppg, 4.4 rpg	Cambewarra, NSW, Australia
G	14	Alexis Hill	5-6	Fr-HS	5.4 ppg, 2.8 rpg	Garland, Texas
G	21	Chelsey Beathard	5-8	Sr-3L	10.6 ppg, 3.4 rpg	Pryor, Okla.
#7 Pittsburg State's Probable Starters
F	23	Kylie Gafford	6-2	Jr-2L	11.1 ppg, 5.8 rpg	Overland Park, Kan.
F	42	Lizzy Jeronimus	5-11	Sr-3L	19.2 ppg, 6.8 rpg	Lenexa, Kan.
G	01	Antquinta Reed	5-9	Sr-1L	6.6 ppg, 4.9 rpg	Blakely, Ga.
G	04	Brigit Hesser	5-7	Sr-3L	4.2 ppg, 1.6 rpg	Montezuma, Kan.
G	32	Hailey Roderique	5-9	Sr-3L	3.7 ppg, 3.3 apg	Webb City, Mo.

 
SCOUTING THE GORILLAS
Pittsburg State University is located in Pittsburg, Kansas, and the team competes in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association. PSU is 23-3 in the 2014-15 season and has put up a 13-2 record in MIAA play. The Gorillas currently sit in second place in the MIAA standings. They have won their last six games, including defeating then No. 2-ranked Fort Hays State in their last outing (65-59). Lizzy Jeronimus (19.2 ppg, 6.8 rpg) leads the team in scoring and rebounding. Kylie Gafford (11.1 ppg, 5.8 rpg) is second on the squad in both categories. Pittsburg State averages 74.5 points per game and shoots .438 as a team.
 
THE LAST TIME OUT – (RV) WU 83, NSU 58
Northeastern State dropped an 83-58 decision to Washburn Feb. 14 inside Lee Arena. Two days after upsetting No. 9 Emporia State, the RiverHawks (10-12, 6-9 MIAA) were unable to maintain the momentum as the Ichabods improved to 16-8 overall and 8-8 in the MIAA. Freshman forward Bria Pierce led NSU with 12 points. The team shot 42.9 percent (21-for-49) from the field, 30 percent (6-for-20) from behind the 3-point line and 52.6 percent (10-for-19) at the free-throw line. WU shot 55.4 percent (31-for-56) overall, 42.3 percent (11-for-26) from downtown and 71.4 percent (10-for-14) at the charity stripe. Taylor Ignoto led the Ichabods with 17 points. Honor Duvall added 13, while Janelle Travis had 11 and Erika Lane chipped in 10.
 
THE LAST TIME THEY MET – #9 PSU 57, NSU 48  
Northeastern State lost 57-48 to No. 9 Pittsburg State Jan. 28 inside the NSU Event Center. The RiverHawks were led by Bria Pierce who scored 10 points and pulled down seven rebounds. Chelsey Beathard added 10 points. NSU shot 31.5 percent (17-for-54) from the field, 26.7 percent (4-for-15) from behind the arc and 76.9 percent (10-for-13) at the line. PSU shot 34.7 percent (17-for-49) from the field, 28.6 percent (6-for-21) from 3-point range and 73.9 percent (17-for-23) at the charity stripe. Lizzy Jeronimus led the Gorillas with 15 points and nine rebounds. Morgan Westhoff added 14 points. Pittsburg State outrebounded the RiverHawks 41-34. NSU held the edge in points in the paint (18-12), assists (9-8), steals (6-4) and second chance points (5-0).
 
NSU AGAIN STUNS EMPORIA STATE
Northeastern State took down No. 9 Emporia State 58-56 in overtime Feb. 12 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.
 
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 6-9 in league play and is in a tie for eighth 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 13 different lineups in the first 22 games in 2014-15. Fontana Tate leads NSU with 62 career starts, and Chelsey Beathard is second on the squad with 46 starts. Kate Bellamy (35), Sarah Sagely (18) and Bria Pierce (11) also own double-digit starts. Sara Fountain (9), Alexis Hill (6), Mya Walker (5), Destiny Strange (1) and Danielle Robertson (1) have also started games for NSU this season.
 
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