Game #12
Northeastern State (6-5, 0-2 MIAA) vs. #2/2 Northwest Missouri (12-0, 2-0 MIAA)
Thursday, Jan.. 3, 2019 at 7:30 p.m. | Tahlequah, Okla. | NSU Event Center
Opening Tip
- Conference home opener and second game this season against a team ranked inside the top-25.
- At home this season Northeastern State is 5-1 but has dropped its last four MIAA contests.
- Thursday's game will feature the top field goal defense in the MIAA against the top field goal offense.
- In nine games this season, NSU has went on at-least a 10-0 run against a foe.
- Caleb Smith is leading the RiverHawks in scoring with 15.3 points per game and 3.3 assists per game.
- Tanner Mouse is second in scoring with 13.3 points.
- Aaron Givens has two double-doubles this year and he is sixth in the MIAA with 7.2 rebounds per game.
- Northeastern State is first in the MIAA in field goal defense at 41.2-percent and third rebound margin at +6.5.
About the Bearcats
- First true road contest of the season for Northwest.
- One of nine remaining undefeated teams left in the nation.
- Ranked second in the coaches in media national poll.
- Lead the MIAA in scoring defense (62 ppg).
- Fourth nationally in three-pointers per game (12.2)
- Second nationally in scoring margin (26.5).
- Trevor Hudgins paces the Bearcats in scoring with 19.3 points per game.
- Ryan Hawkins averages a double-double with 16.8 points and 10.7 rebounds per game.
- Northwest ranks No. 1 in the nation in fewest turnovers (7.8 per game).
- Picked by the MIAA coaches to win this year's league title.
- Led by tenth year head coach Ben McCollum (215-75).
RiverHawks vs. Bearcats Series
- Northeastern State trails 10-1 in the overall series.
- NSU's lone win came in the opening round of the NCAA 2000 Regional.
- Head Coach Mark Downey is 1-1 all-time against the Bearcats.
Looking Back
- A slow start and cold shooting for the RiverHawks proved to be too much to overcome in a 72-55 loss on Sunday evening at St. Mary's.
- Leading the RiverHawks 21-to-13 at the 13:57 mark, the Rattlers would score 11 straight in the next four minutes. Northeastern State trailed by double-figures the rest of the way.
- Northeastern State shot a season low 33.3-percent (19-57) and were 5-for-27 at the arc in the loss.
- Tanner Mouse led NSU with 11 points and Caleb Smith was the squads other player in double-digits with ten.
- Widest point margin in a NSU loss this season and in the last 19 contests.
- First time in the last six contests that NSU was out-rebounded.
- The RiverHawks were 12-for-24 at the free throw line.
Inside Men
NSU's post players,
Aaron Givens and
Josh Ihek are shooting a combined 72.4-percent and accounting for 11.9 rebounds per game. On the offensive glass the two is averaging 4.7 rebounds per game, and scoring 14.7 points a game.
4-Year
Tanner Mouse has scored ten or more points in 14 of the last 16 games for the RiverHawks. The senior is second at NSU with 13.3 points an outing which is nearly double his career average during his first Mouse's three seasons (7.7 ppg).
Already at 1,000+
Senior transfer
D'Angelo Jackson starts the season with 1,203 career points in-between stops at Eastern Illinois and Highland CC. Jackson has a career average at over 15 points per game and was selected as a NJCAA All-American.
- In 11 games, Jackson is averaging 9.5 points, and is shooting 47.5% from the field.
Double-Trouble
For the first time since Feb. 10, 2010 at Southwestern Okla., the RiverHawks had two players with a double-double on a box score.
Josh Ihek and
Aaron Givens both hit double-doubles on Nov. 27 against Bacone by hitting double-digits in points and rebounds.
Benchmark
The RiverHawks broke a facility scoring record in its last two contests inside the NSU Event Center. Northeastern State set a new bar with 118 points on Nov. 30, 2018 against Central Christian (Mo.), a mere 72 hours after braking the prior record that has held for five years.
Here is a quick look at the other 100 point games in the Center's 5+ year history...
1. 118 vs. Central Christian (11/30/18)
2. 107 vs. Bacone (11/27/18)
3. 102 vs. Ecclesia (11/9/13)*
4. 101 vs. Hillsdale Free Will Baptist (11/13/13)
* - First game in the complex
Quick Runs
Northeastern State runs of ten or more unanswered points during the 2018-19 season.
10-0 - 3:43 at Missouri Southern (12/8/18)
10-0 - 4:03 vs. Bacone (11/27/18)
10-0 - 3:50 vs. Dallas Baptist (11/24/18)*
10-0 - 2:44 vs. Dallas Baptist (11/24/18)#
10-0 - 2:15 vs. Southwestern Oklahoma (11/9/18)
11-0 - 3:59 vs. Oklahoma Baptist (11/19/18)
11-0 - 2:06 at Rogers State (11/14/18)
12-0 - 3:23 vs. Bacone (11/27/18)
12-0 - 2:45 vs. Northwestern Oklahoma (11/10/18)#
13-0 - 3:38 vs. Central Christian (11/30/18)
13-0 - 4:31 vs. Bacone (11/27/18)
15-0 - 8:01 at Missouri S&T (12/17/18)
18-0 - 4:03 vs. Central Christian (11/30/18)
20-0 - 5:04 vs. Central Christian (11/30/18)
* - Start of the game
# - Spans the half
Up Big
Largest leads of the season for Northeastern State.
58 - 1:28 (2nd Half) vs. Bacone on Nov. 27, 2018
22 - 11:28 (2nd Half) vs. Southwestern Oklahoma on Nov. 9, 2018
21 - 14:46 (2nd Half) vs. Northwestern Oklahoma on Nov. 10, 2018
19 - 1:25 (2nd Half) at Missouri S&T on Dec. 17, 2018
14 - 2:23 (2nd Half) vs. Oklahoma Baptist on Nov. 19, 2018
14 - 00:34 (1st Half) at Rogers State on Nov. 14, 2018
10 - 16:10 (1st Half) vs. Dallas Baptist on Nov. 24, 2018
Our Colors
Northeastern State's uniform record during the 2018-19 season.
3-1 Gray
2-0 White
1-3 Green
0-1 Black
An older group
Northeastern State has one freshman on its roster this season with nine juniors, and four seniors.
Former Rangers
Jahmel Bodrick,
Michael Bowers, and
Caleb Smith all come to Northeastern State from Ranger College (Texas) and played for Former Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Kentucky basketball coach Billy Gillispie.
