Game #9
(RV) Northeastern State (7-1) vs. Newman (4-3)
Thursday, Dec. 5 at 7:30 p.m. | NSU Event Center

Game #10
(RV) Northeastern State vs. Central Oklahoma (3-5)
Saturday, Dec. 7 at 3:30 p.m. | NSU Event Center

• Northeastern State has played with the same starting five in all their regular season games this season.
• A win in either game will be the quickest since the 2001-02 season to reach eight wins.  NSU won game eight that season on Dec. 8 at Abilene Christian.
• The last time NSU opened the season 7-1 was the 2012-13 season, where they went 10-1.
• Caleb Smith needs three points to reach 1,000 in his overall playing career.
• Bradley George will be playing in this 100th career game on Thursday.
• Aaron Givens is fourth in the MIAA with ten blocks.
• The RiverHawks are receiving four points in the latest NABC poll.  The last time they crossed into the top-25 in the poll was Nov. 26, 2013.    
• NSU's defense is second in the nation and has allowed only 58.0 points per game.
• Teams are shooting 35.3-percent against the RiverHawks, which is second-lowest nationally.
• Northeastern State's bench is averaging 32 points a game in the first eight contests of the season.
• The RiverHawks have made 82 three-pointers, which 15th most nationally.
• Head Coach Mark Downey is 17-10 in non-conference play with NSU winning nine of their last 11 games.
• All five contests in December are at home.

• First meeting with Newman since the 2011-12 season and first conference meeting. 
• The RiverHawks won in the lone meeting with Newman in Tahlequah, 71-48.
• Head Coach Mark Downey beat the Jets in his only crossover with them.

• The Jets come to Tahlequah on a two-game skid after dropping a 78-72 contest to Truman State and 92-83 game to Southwestern Okla. in Topeka. 
• Newman does not have a win against a team with a winning record.  Opponents with Newman losses have a .285 win percentage.
• The Jets' 135 points scored against Manhattan Christian is third most this season in NCAA Division II men's basketball.
• Marshawn Blackmon leads the MIAA with four double-doubles and is fifth in scoring at 17.3 points a game.  
• The Jets are ninth-best nationally in three-point defense with teams shooting 26.8-percent at the arc.

• One of the oldest series for NSU with its first meeting coming during the 1924-25 season.
• Since joining the MIAA, the Bronchos lead the series 10-3
• Head Coach Mark Downey is 2-3 against UCO
• Bronchos have won the last three contests over NSU in Tahlequah.
• UCO Head Coach Bob Hoffman is 7-2 All-Time against Northeastern State.  Last NSU win over Hoffman was during the 1991-92 season while he was at Oklahoma Baptist.

• Against common foes to NSU, Central is 2-2 this season.
• Will be playing at Rogers State on Thursday prior to visiting Tahlequah. 
• UCO has not won outside of the OKC metro area since last season's meeting in Tahlequah
• Ranked second to last in the MIAA in scoring, averaging 67 points a game.
• The Bronchos are sent to the line a league-high 171 times. 
• In the bottom 20 nationally averaging 5.5 three-pointers a game. 
• Dashawn McDowell leads the Bronchos in scoring with 13.9 points a game.
• Picked to finish 13th by the MIAA Coaches.

• Northeastern State opened with an 11-0 lead on Southwestern Christian never looked back.
• The 100-74 win is the sixth century mark game inside the Event Center and fourth in the last two seasons. 
• Bradley George led NSU with 17 points, which was a season-high and the 12th time he led the team in scoring. 
• Josh Ihek played a season-high 24 minutes on Monday and was 6-for-8 from the field.
• The 74 points allowed is a season-high by the RiverHawks' defense.