Game 19: Northeastern State (5-13, 1-8 MIAA) vs. Missouri Southern (12-7, 7-3 MIAA) at 7:30 p.m. | January 24, 2018
Tahlequah, Okla. | NSU Event Center
The Series
Home has been sweet for Northeastern State when facing Missouri Southern, where NSU is 12-3 in Tahlequah. In 37 meetings, the RiverHawks trail the overall series 21-16, with the Lions winning the last four contests. Wednesday will be the first trip in three years to Tahlequah for Southern and they have played in the NSU Event Center once. In Joplin, the Lions hold a 16-4 series advantage and on a neutral site NSU trails 2-0.
The Coaches
Mark Downey was introduced as NSU's tenth men's basketball coach on April 11, 2017 and carries a 209-116 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.
Jeff Boschee (68-42) is in his fourth season as the head coach of the Missouri Southern basketball program after serving four seasons as an assistant and associate head coach. Last season, Southern finished the season with an 18-12 record, a fourth-place finish in the MIAA regular season standings and the program's 19th-straight trip to the MIAA Postseason Tournament.
Last Time Out for NSU
Northeastern State suffered an 87-60 setback to in-state rivals Central Oklahoma on Saturday at Hamilton Field House. Freshman
Coryon Mason paced the RiverHawks in front of his home town family and friends with 14 points; the Oklahoma City native also hit double-digit scoring for the third contest in a row. NSU needed to find their offense inside on Saturday after missing the first 11 attempts at the arc. Despite the outside struggles, the RiverHawks only trailed by four (34-30) following a
Tanner Mouse layup with just over a minute left to halftime. The Bronchos capped off the period with back-to-back three-pointers to take a ten-point advantage into the locker room.
Last Time Out for MSSU
The Missouri Southern men's basketball program withstood a tough Emporia State squad on Saturday to come away with a 77-74 win on inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center. Southern picked up a double-double from LJ Ross as he finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds.
Coaches vs. Cancer // Suits & Sneakers Week
In both home contests this week, the Northeastern State coaching staff will wear sneakers with their game attire as a visible reminder about the importance of nutrition and physical activity in reducing cancer risk. The Coaches vs. Cancer Suits And Sneakers Week, January 23-29, 2017, is a nationwide event that unites coaches across the country to raise awareness about the American Cancer Society's lifesaving mission, and promote the American Cancer Society as a place for help and support.
Up next
Northeastern State will host Pittsburg State on Saturday at the NSU Event Center for a 2:30 p.m. tip-off.
