TAHLEQUAH – Montre' Williams dropped 20 points on Saturday at NSU Event Center against Central Oklahoma but Northeastern State saw a double-digit first half lead evaporate to fall 66-50.
 
The RiverHawks led the Bronchos 20-9 with just over seven minutes remaining in the first half, and Central Oklahoma finished the period on a 21-6 run that Northeastern State could not recover from.
 
"We got a bunch of guys who can't score, that's the best way of putting it, everybody in the league knows that so I'm not letting the cat out of the bag by saying that," said head coach Jason Tinsley.  "You can't settle and shoot contested jump shots early on the (shot) clock for a lot of reasons.  You'll never going to get to the free throw line and you not making them work to defend you."
 
Northeastern State shot 35.7-percent (16-50) on the floor, while going 14-of-16 at the free throw line; Cameron Martin was NSU's next highest scorer with nine points.  Central Oklahoma had three in double-figures, while shooting 44.2-percent (19-43), and converting 21-of-32 at the free throw line.
 
"They (Central Oklahoma) can put five guys on the floor that can score the basketball at any time.  We can't do that, we are limited.  Montre' (Williams) shot well today, he has been in a funk lately, but I'm disappointed in the rebound margin, they had almost as many defensive rebounds as we as had in rebounds," Tinsley added.
 
Braxton Williams led the RiverHawks with four boards, with NSU grabbing 25 as a team; UCO had 38 on their side of the floor with 24 coming the defensive end.
 
In the second half, NSU pulled even twice on the Bronchos early but never took the lead.  Martin sank a trey at the 14:21 mark to get the RiverHawks within two (39-37) but it would be the teams last made shot from the field until Martin hit a jumper before the buzzer.
 
Jordan London led Central Oklahoma with 14 points as the Bronchos move to 11-6 and 6-3 in the MIAA, the RiverHawks dropped their last four in a row to fall to 3-14 and 2-7 in league play.
 
Northeastern State will go on the road this upcoming Wednesday will visit Missouri Southern with tip off scheduled for 7:30 p.m.