Game #4
Northeastern State (1-2) at Oklahoma Baptist (2-1)
Monday, Nov. 19, 2018 at 7 p.m. |  Shawnee, Okla. | Noble Complex

Game Coverage	goriverhawksgo.com/coverage.aspx
NSU Game Notes	Game Notes

Opening Tip 

• Second of eight straight contests away from home for the RiverHawks.
• Lone regular season contest on a Monday.  Northeaster State played Oklahoma in an exhibition on Monday, Nov. 2.
• Joi Bertrand, Bailee Eldred, Cenia Hayes, and Cailyn Long have started in all five contests.
• Final non-conference road contest in Oklahoma this season.   
• Cailyn Long leads the RiverHawks in scoring with a 11.3 ppg after the opening three games of the season.
• Bailee Eldred is second in scoring with 10.7 ppg.
• Joi Bertrand is second in the MIAA in blocks with seven.

RiverHawks vs. Lady Bison Series

• RiverHawks lead the series 13-12.
• The series went on a 21-year hiatus prior to their 2016 meeting.
• Northeastern State won 71-59 in their last visit to Oklahoma Baptist in 2016.
• Was the first meeting with Oklahoma Baptist for head coach Fala Bullock.

About the Lady Bison

• Beat Manhattan Christian at home, 102-22, on Friday evening.
• Lady Bison opened the game on a 36-0 run.
• Picked to finish sixth in the Great American Conference after going 13-16 (8-14) last season.
• Returns five letterwinners.
• Katy Custer returned to the floor for OBU after missing last season.  The Dickson, Okla. native averaged 14.5 points and six rebounds per game during the 2016-17 campaign.
• Under the guidance of eighth year head coach Casi Bays'.

Looking Back

• Earned their third straight win over Rogers State last Wednesday, 63-55.
• Trailed by six in the third quarter and used a 22-4 run to get past the Hillcats.
• Cenia Hayes led the RiverHawks with 16 points.
• Bailee Eldred had nine rebounds.
• All players who saw the floor scored against the Hillcats.
• Morgan Hellyer and Julia Hill both had four points off a pair of buckets in the final period.
• The RiverHawks took advantage of RSU's turnovers and outscored them 17-to-3.
• NSU played the majority of the fourth quarter with four non-starters.

Ignoring the Polls
Out of 14 teams, Northeastern State was picked 12th in the MIAA Preseason Coaches poll and 13th the media.

Closing on 1,000
Cailyn Long is 86 points away from joining Northeastern State's 1,000 point club.  The Sparta, Mo. is a two-time All-MIAA selection and has averaged 11.3 points a game in her three-year career at NSU.

• Had her eighth career 20+ point game on Saturday against Northwestern Oklahoma.
• Started and had four points and four rebounds in the exhibition at Oklahoma State.
• Played 20 minutes at Oklahoma and had seven points.

Super Senior
Destiny Strange will return to the NSU squad as a redshirt-senior in 2018-19.  The Arlington, Texas native was having a career season averaging 11.1 points in the first eight contests.  Her season was cut short in the opening minute of the eighth game at home against Central Oklahoma on Dec. 5. 

• Made the start in the season opener at Oklahoma State and played 22 minutes.
• Started at Oklahoma and was on 2-for-8 from the field. 
• Strange has played in 69 contests and started 22.
• Was a point and rebound short of a double-double in the season opener with East Central.

Crashing the Boards
Bailee Eldred paced the RiverHawks with 138 rebounds last season and had four double-double contests.  In her collegiate career between NSU and Murray State, Eldred has 417 rebounds and 743 points.   In the NSU record book, only eight players have surpassed 500 career rebounds.  

• Pulled down a season high nine rebounds at Rogers State.
• When 9-9 at the free-throw line with a career high 21 points vs. Northwestern Oklahoma.
• Eldred led Northeastern State with 11 points at OSU and at Oklahoma.

Block the Ball
Joi Bertrand returns to NSU for her senior season after finishing third in the MIAA in blocks per game at 1.5.  Bertrand had 42 blocks which was fifth most in a season in program history.   In three combined playing seasons, she has 110 blocks which would be third most all-time in the RiverHawks' record book.

• Matched a career high of four blocks in the season opener against East Central.
• Scored eight points and led NSU with seven rebounds at Oklahoma.