Game 14: Northeastern State (3-10, 0-5 MIAA) vs. Lincoln (6-8, 0-5 MIAA) at 3:30 p.m. | January 6, 2018
Tahlequah, Okla. | NSU Event CenterÂ
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The SeriesÂ
Northeastern State holds a slight 5-4 overall series edge over the Blue Tigers but in MIAA play it is even at three wins apiece. Â The last time these two teams met in the NSU Event Center it would be the RiverHawks coming away with a 93-81 win on Jan. 30, 2016.
The Coaches
Mark Downey was introduced as NSU's tenth men's basketball coach on April 11, 2017 and carries a 207-113 overall head coaching record, with four NCAA Division II Tournament Appearances, and has been named Coach of the Year six times. Â 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. Â 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.
John Moseley (43-59) is in his fourth season at Lincoln and won 17 games a season ago which was their highest victory total in the last 15 years. Â Prior to arriving at LU, Moseley was the Associate Head Coach at North Carolina Central, and assisted in earning the program the #14 seed in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship.
Last Time Out for NSU
Eight unanswered points in the final minutes by Lindenwood derailed Northeastern State's rally on Thursday evening at the NSU Event Center, falling 64-56 to the Tigers. Â The RiverHawks were led by senior
Jamir Andrews who had 13 points and
Montre' Williams added 12. Â
Tanner Mouse had ten points and
Gordon Hill nearly had a double-double with ten rebounds and eight points
Last Time Out for LU
The Blue Tigers led four-times in the first half but faded on the road Thursday night at Central Oklahoma, falling 76-65. Â John Burton led Lincoln with 17 points and Maurice Mason reached double-figures for the 14th time this season. Â Lincoln pulled in within five-points (62-57) of UCO in the final minutes but a 7-0 run by the Bronchos halted their road comeback in Edmond.
Chasing 1,000
NSU senior returner
Montre' 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. Â The senior from Copperas Cove, Texas led the RiverHawks in scoring with 12.3 points per game one year ago and has 902 career points in 94 games played.
A NSU win would…
- End an eight game skid.
- Second straight home win over Lincoln.
- First MIAA win of the season.
An LU win would…
- Be their first MIAA win of the season.
- Halt a three game road losing streak.
- First win in Oklahoma since the 2014-15 season.
Up next
Northeastern State heads on the road and will face Washburn in Topeka, Kan. on Thursday, Jan. 11 for 7:30 p.m. start.