JOPLIN, Mo. – Caleb Smith matched his season high with 19 points but Northeastern State came up short of upsetting #19-ranked Missouri Southern, 85-79, on Saturday evening. 
 
The RiverHawks spread their offense around with five players in double-digits and used a solid shooting second half to trim a 14-point Southern lead. 
 
D'Angelo Jackson put NSU within three (67-64) on a jumper with eight minutes left in the contest but they could not get over the hump trailing by two possessions most of the way to the final horn.  
 
In the second half, the RiverHawks shot 20-for-36 from the field to outpace Missouri Southern by six on the scoreboard.    
 
For Northeastern State, the damage was done in the first half.  Trailing 26-25 with 7:29 left to the intermission, Missouri Southern went on an 11-2 run on the RiverHawks in the next 3:30 on the clock.  
 
Aaron Givens and Trent Cantrell both had 13 points, while Tanner Mouse and Jackson scored ten each to make up the rest of NSU's players in double-figures.
 
The RiverHawks would out-rebound the Lions 41-to-34, with Givens leading NSU with eight.
 
Missouri Southern, a preseason pick to win the MIAA, only used seven players on Saturday to move up to 9-1 (2-0 MIAA).  The RiverHawks will fall to 5-4 (0-2 MIAA) with the loss. 
 
THE NUMBERS
4 – Fourth time this season that Northeastern State had five players in double-digits.
8 – Eighth game this season where the RiverHawks have scored ten straight on an opponent.
 
TIP-INS
Eighth straight win for Missouri Southern at home and closest margin of victory in the last nine games … fifth road loss in a row for the RiverHawks … Northeastern State held the Lions to a season low 49.1 field goal percentage … the RiverHawks were up at the free throw line a season low ten times.
 
COMING UP
Northeastern State will be off until Monday, Dec. 17 where they will travel to Missouri S&T for a non-conference contest at 7 p.m.