Game 7: Northeastern State (4-2) at Missouri Western State (6-1) at 2 p.m. | December 2, 2017
St. Joseph, Mo. | MWSU Fieldhouse
The Matchup
Up through the end of the 2012-13 season, Northeastern State controlled the overall series 5-1, but the Griffons have own the past four in row to even the match up. At Missouri Western, the RiverHawks are 2-3 overall and won in two of their first three trips to St. Joseph.
The Coaches
Fala Bullock is in her first season as head coach and was named to lead her alma mater on April 1, 2017 to replace Randy Gipson who retired after 18 years. With six years of head coaching experience, Bullock is 102-76 overall and within conference play she is 62-53. She has spent the last four seasons (2013-17) as head coach at NCAA Division II Armstrong State University, where she recorded a career mark of 60-52. In her first season at Armstrong State, she led the Pirates to the NCAA Tournament for the third time in program history, and reached the Sweet 16.
Bullock played for Gipson for two seasons, and was a graduate assistant under Gipson from 2004 to 2006. As student-athlete, Bullock played in 57 games and NSU went 36-19, winning the 2003 Lone Star Conference Tournament, and made the program's first NCAA Tournament berth. As a member of Gipson's coaching staff, NSU reached the Sweet 16 in 2004, and qualified for the NCAA Tournament in 2005 and 2006.
Rob Edmisson (499-161) is 95-53 since coming the head coach for the MWSU women's basketball program prior to the start of the 2012-13 season. Missouri Western has reached the postseason in four of Edmisson's first five years, with the program's first NCAA Regional bid since 2004 coming in 2015-16.
Last Time Out for NSU
Northeastern State held off a pair of runs by Northwest Missouri on Thursday evening to open MIAA play with a 68-57 win. The RiverHawks had three in double-figures with
Cailyn Long leading the team with 13 points,
Miranda Griffin had 12, with six rebounds, and three takeaways.
Joi Bertrand would come up big for NSU in the fourth quarter and she had ten points, seven rebounds, three blocks, and a pair of steals.
Last Time Out for MWSU
The Griffons overcame an 8-point halftime deficit by outscoring the Bronchos 21-8 in the third quarter and 25-18 in the fourth to hand #21 Central Oklahoma their first lost of the season, 71-59 on Thursday night. Between the last five minutes of the third quarter and the first four minutes of the fourth, Missouri Western was on a 20-2 run.
Downtown
After six games this season, the RiverHawks are second in the MIAA with 8.3 three-pointers per game, and they are leading the league at the arc with a 38.2 shooting percentage.
Cailyn Long is second in the MIAA at the arc with 51.5-percent of her shots coming down, and averages 2.8 a game.
Go Long
NSU junior
Cailyn Long has averaged 18.6 points in the last three contests while hitting 14 three-pointers. Long is a returning All-MIAA performer for the RiverHawks, and shot 13-for-25 from the field and averaged 17 minutes a game last week. In just over two seasons, Long has 675 career points, and has sank 112 three-pointers.
The Comebacks
The RiverHawks already have a pair of double-digit comeback wins this season through the first five games. Northeastern State trailed Northwestern Oklahoma by ten points midway through the third quarter and won their season opener 82-75. Most recently on Wednesday, Northeastern State trailed Southern Arkansas by 13 with 6:03 left in the third quarter and won 86-76.
Coast to Coast
Seventeen unanswered points to start Nov. 15 contest at home against Rogers State gave the RiverHawks their first coast-to-coast win (79-66) over an opponent since Dec. 31, 2016 at Oklahoma Baptist. The RiverHawks spread the wealth with four players in double figures and were led by
Destiny Strange who had a career night with 19 points.
Miranda Griffin and Ceina Hayes both had 14 points, with
Lauryn Blevins adding 13 off the bench.
A NSU Win Would...
- End a four game skid against Missouri Western.
- Be their first win at Missouri Western since Feb. 2, 2013.
- Back-to-back conference road wins for the first time since Jan. 12, 2013 at Southwest Baptist (59-43) and Jan. 16, 2013 at Central Oklahoma (54-53).
A MWSU Win Would...
- Keep the Griffons perfect at home this season in five contests.
- Be their fifth win in a row over the RiverHawks.
- Remain perfect in MIAA play.
Up Next
Northeastern State returns home and will host Central Oklahoma on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.
