Game 1 & 2 at Percefull Fieldhouse, Alva, Okla.
Friday, Nov. 10 at 7:30 p.m. | at Northwestern Okla. | Live Stats | Live Video
Saturday, Nov. 11 at 5:30 p.m. | vs. Southeastern Okla. | Live Stats | Live Video
 
The Series
Since 2012, the RiverHawks are 3-2 against the Rangers and won in their last outing at Percefull Fieldhouse which also in the 2012-13 season (83-77).   All five contests have been battles on both sides of the ball, despite a 91-80 loss last season to the Rangers, the RiverHawks erased a 17-point deficit to force overtime.
 
Against Southeastern Oklahoma, the RiverHawks are 11-7 since 2005, and have lost the last two contests with the Savage Storm.  Last season's meeting the RiverHawks lost 71-62 to Southeastern Oklahoma despite forcing 25 turnovers.  
 
New Leadership
This weekend will be the NSU heading coach debut for Mark Downey who took over the program this last April.  Downey is the tenth men's basketball coach in NSU history and carries a 204-103 overall head coaching record, with four NCAA Division II Tournament Appearances, and has been named Coach of the Year six times.  Downey comes to NSU after two seasons at Fort Wayne (NCAA DI) as the program's top assistant on the bench, and has helped the Mastodons to appearances in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament (CIT) and the NIT, while going 44-23.  Prior to Fort Wayne, Downey spent the 2014-15 season at Bowling Green where they went 20-12, and he helped direct them into the second round of the CIT.
 
New Faces
Northeastern State will start the year with 13 newcomers to its squad to complement six returners from last season.  Of the group of fresh faces, four NSU players have NCAA Division I experience (Lucas Antunez, Jamir Andrews, Josh Bougher, and Zach Lee) and three who transferred from NCAA Division II programs (Marquise Harris, Tighe Oberg, and Pete Okonkwo).
 
The Kennedy Connection
First year NSU assistant coach Nathan Kennedy and HC Downey were on-staff together at West Alabama during the 2012-13 season.  In only one season at UWA, Downey and Kennedy were able to lead the Tigers to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1982. They also won a school record 14 games in Gulf South Conference and were Co-Champs of the Battle for Atlantis Mainland Classic defeating NCAA Division I opponents Abilene Christian and The Citadel.  
 
Kennedy comes to NSU from the University of Montevallo and brought along senior transfer Tighe Oberg.
 
With Honors
NSU senior returner Montre' Williams this last summer was one of five in the MIAA to be named to the NABC Honors Court.  In order to be named to the Honors Court, a student-athlete must meet a high standard of academic criteria. They must academically be a junior or senior and a varsity player, and must maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.2 or higher at the conclusion of the 2016-17 academic year.

Williams is the lone NSU player who has seen action in the past three seasons for the RiverHawks and was an All-MIAA selection last year.   The senior from Copperas Cove, Texas led the RiverHawks in scoring with 12.3 points per game and will enter his senior season with 790 career points.

The Chip on Your Shoulder
Despite a nearly overhauled roster and a coaching change, Northeastern State was voted in the MIAA Preseason Men's Basketball Coaches Poll to finish 12th.

The RiverHawks finished the 2016-17 season in the same spot and qualified for the MIAA Tournament with a 5-23 record, and 4-15 mark in the MIAA.  
 
Up Next
Northeastern State will be at home for their next two outings on the floor with Rogers State visiting the Event Center on Wednesday, Nov. 15 at 7:30 p.m., and then Ecclesia College comes to town on Saturday, Nov. 18 at 3:30 p.m.