STEPHENVILLE, Texas – A cold spell in the final minutes of the game doomed the RiverHawks and handed them their first loss of the season, 73-59 Saturday evening at Tarleton.

Chasing their first 6-0 start since their 2002-03 National Championship season, the NSU shooting couldn't get going long enough against the Texans who bested the RiverHawks for the final time as Division II members.

Caleb Smith paced NSU with 20 points, and Aaron Givens had ten as the only other player in double digits.  The RiverHawks' bench, which averaged over 30 a game, was limited to 15 on Saturday.

Averaging just over ten turnovers a game, the RiverHawks committed 11 through the first 20 minutes of play. Adding the first-half woes, they missed on their first 13 attempts at the arc, allowing Tarleton to lead as many as 16. A run of six unanswered points to close the half put the RiverHawks back within ten, 34-24.

Trailing 53-41 with just under ten left in regulation, Brad Davis launched a quick run of nine unanswered points. Davis hit a bucket and trey, a second-chance jumper from Smith with 7:46 left put them only three back.   The run put the game back into reach for NSU.  

However, NSU would go stone cold in the final three minutes of the game with the RiverHawks making only one of their last 11 shots.  Tarleton ended the game on an 11-2 run to move to 3-3 on the season.

Northeastern State out-rebounded the Texans 41-to-35 with Givens and Iain McLaughlin, both leading the team with six.  On second-chance points, the RiverHawks led 19-to-7.

From the field, NSU shot 36-percent (23-64) and made six of 32 attempts at the arc. 

After trailing by only seven minutes through the first five games, NSU trailed for over 37 on Saturday.

The RiverHawks (5-1) will be back in action on Tuesday, where they will play in the MIAA Men's Basketball Challenge in Kansas City. They will face Rockhurst inside Municipal Auditorium at 3:45 p.m.