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TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – The Northeastern State women's basketball team is set to travel to Edmond, Oklahoma, to renew a long-standing rivalry with the University of Central Oklahoma. The RiverHawks (9-10, 5-7 MIAA) will meet the Bronchos (13-8, 6-6 MIAA) at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 5 in the Hamilton Field House.

NSU owns a 34-21 record over UCO since the teams started playing in 1977-78. The RiverHawks will be looking for some revenge after the Bronchos earned a 69-65 victory last season (Feb. 22, 2014) to snap a five-game winning streak in the series by Northeastern State. Northeastern State was picked eighth in the preseason MIAA coaches' poll, while UCO was slated 10th.
 

Northeastern State's Probable Starters
F	23	Bria Pierce	5-10	Fr-HS	5.4 ppg, 4.0 rpg	Overland Park, Kan.
G	04	Fontana Tate	5-5	Sr-3L	9.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg	Muldrow, Okla.
G	05	Kate Bellamy	5-9	Jr-2L	7.4 ppg, 4.5 rpg	Cambewarra, NSW, Australia
G	21	Chelsey Beathard	5-8	Sr-3L	11.1 ppg, 3.4 rpg	Pryor, Okla.
G	22	Sarah Sagely	5-6	Sr-1L	3.2 ppg, 1.7 rpg	West Fork, Ark.
Central Oklahoma's Probable Starters
F	21	Julia Mason	5-10	Jr.	9.2 ppg, 4.8 rpg	Fairview, Okla.
F	24	Kylie Mayes	6-2	Sr.	10.8 ppg, 4.4 rpg	Midwest City, Okla.
G	03	Jordan Ward	5-4	Jr.	4.0 ppg, 2.3 rpg	Alvord, Texas
G	13	Chelsea Robinson	5-10	Sr.	6.4 ppg, 4.1 rpg	Harrah, Okla.
G	25	Olivia Mason	5-11	So.	10.0 ppg, 4.9 rpg	Fairview, Okla.

 
SCOUTING THE BRONCHOS
The University of Central Oklahoma is located in Edmond, Oklahoma, and the team competes in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association. The Bronchos are 13-8 in the 2014-15 season and have put up a 6-6 record in MIAA play. Central Oklahoma has lost its last five games. They fell 85-55 to Pittsburg State most recently. Kylie Mayes (10.8 ppg, 4.4 rpg), Haley Weathers (10.3 ppg, 2.4 rpg) and Olivia Mason (10.0 ppg, 4.9 rpg) all average in double-figure scoring for the Bronchos. Mason also leads the team in rebounding. UCO averages 67.1 points per game and shoots .405 as a team.
 
THE LAST TIME OUT – #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 freshman forward Bria Pierce who scored 10 points and pulled down seven rebounds. Senior guard 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. The RiverHawks kept pace with nationally ranked Pittsburg State in the first 20 minutes. They trailed 21-19 after Kylie Gafford scored a layup in the final seconds to give the visitors a slight edge at the half. The Gorillas began the second half with a 9-2 run which stretched the lead to nine points. NSU responded with a 9-3 run of its own to cut the lead to 33-30 with 11:20 remaining in the game, but PSU was able to stave off the RiverHawks and earn the road victory. 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).
 
THE LAST TIME THEY MET – UCO 69, NSU 65  
Northeastern State lost 69-65 Feb. 22, 2014 inside Hamilton Field House. Fontana Tate finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds for her first-career double-double. Kate Bellamy added 14 points and eight rebounds. Northeastern State shot 40 percent (22-for-55) from the field, 43.5 percent (10-for-23) from behind the arc and 73.3 percent (11-for-15) from the free-throw line. UCO shot 37.5 percent (24-for-64) from the field, 20 percent (6-for-30) from three-point territory and 78.9 percent (15-for-19) at the charity stripe. Jill Bryan paced the Bronchos with 22 points. Britney Morgan scored 13, Julia Mason added 12, and Olivia Mason contributed 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.
 
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 18 games in 2014-15. Fontana Tate leads NSU with 59 career starts, and Chelsey Beathard is second on the squad with 43 starts. Kate Bellamy (32) and Sarah Sagely (16) also own double-digit starts. Sara Fountain (9), Bria Pierce (8), 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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