Game #22
Northeastern State (12-9, 6-6 MIAA) vs. Central Oklahoma (9-12, 2-10 MIAA)
Saturday, Feb. 9, 2019 at 3:30 p.m. | Tahlequah, Okla. | NSU Event Center

Game Coverage	goriverhawksgo.com/coverage.aspx
NSU Game Notes	Game Notes
Live Audio	GoRiverHawksGo.com
Live Video	The MIAA Network ($)

Opening Tip 

• 138th basketball meeting between Northeastern State and Central Oklahoma.
• Northeastern State has out-rebounded teams 16 times this season and has not been out-rebounded in the last ten games.
• In ten 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 15.9 points per game and is averaging 4.7 rebounds a game.
• Tanner Mouse is second in scoring with 13.5 points.
• Trent Cantrell is averaging 20 points in the last three games.
• Cantrell is tied for third in league play with 2.8 three pointers a game.
• Aaron Givens is tied for the MIAA lead with 27 blocks.
• Northeastern State leads the MIAA in field goal defense (42.3) and rebound margin (5.6).

About the Bronchos

• Central Oklahoma has lost six of their last seven contests. 
• On the road the Bronchos are 2-7.
• In Tahlequah this season, Central Oklahoma is 2-0 and has won four in a row in the Event Center.
• Led in scoring by Adarius Avery (20.0 ppg)
• Avery is sixth in the MIAA in scoring and has scored ten or more points in all 21 games this season.
• Avery played for Loyla last season during their NCAA Final Four run.
• Avery is third in nation with 14 double-doubles and ninth with 10.6 rebounds per game.
• Ranked last in the MIAA in field goal percentage defense (.469). 
• Led by Northeastern State alumni, Tom Hankins who is in his fourth season at UCO.
• Hankins is 5-1 against Northeastern State.

RiverHawks vs. Bronchos Series

• One of the oldest series for NSU with its first meeting coming during the 1924-25 season.
• Central Oklahoma has won the last five games in the series.
• Last win for NSU was in Tahlequah on Dec. 19, 2015 (92-73).
• Since joining the MIAA, the Bronchos lead the series 9-3.
• Head Coach Mark Downey is 1-2 against UCO.

Looking Back

• Northeastern State saw a six game winning streak come to a halt at the hands of Southwest Baptist, 69-65, on Saturday.
• The streak for NSU was its longest in five seasons.
• Northeastern State had four in double-figures with Tanner Mouse having a game high 17 points.  
• Caleb Smith added 13, Trent Cantrell scored 12, and Bradley George had 11 points. 
• Cantrell had the hot hand early and dropped all four of his treys inside the first 17 minutes of the game to help keep NSU ahead of the Bearcats. 
• Josh Ihek matched his career high with three blocks off the bench.
• Third straight win for the Bearcats in Tahlequah.

Inside Men
NSU's post players, Aaron Givens and Josh Ihek are shooting a combined 67.3-percent and accounting for 10.4 rebounds per game.  On the offensive glass the two is averaging 3.5 rebounds per game, and scoring 12.4 points a game.  

4-Year
Tanner Mouse has scored ten or more points in 19 of the last 25 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).

By George
Since entering the starting lineup Bradley George has averaged 12.5 points in the last ten games.  In 21 games played this season, the junior is averaging 8.1 points and 3.6 assists.

• Went a perfect 6-for-6 with 21 points against Central Missouri.
• Recorded a career high nine assists on Jan. 19 against Pitt State.
• Against Missouri Southern on Jan. 17, George shot 8-for-10 for a career high 22 points. 

Mr. Smith
Caleb Smith has scored as at-least ten points in 19 games this season and recorded four 20 point outings in his junior season.  In 21 starts, Smith is shooting 48.3% percent along with averaging 4.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists an outing. 

• Recorded his first double-double with a career high 28 points and 11 rebounds at Lincoln on Jan. 24
• Named MIAA Athlete of the Week on Jan. 19, 2019 after averaging 22.5 points and 6.0 rebounds.
• Scored 25 points at Missouri S&T.

Double-Trouble
Prior to Feb. 10, 2010 at Southwestern Okla. the RiverHawks went eight seasons without having two players with a double-double in the same game.  Northeastern State has done this twice in the 2018-19 season. 

• Caleb Smith and Josh Ihek at Lincoln on Jan. 24
• Ihek and Aaron Givens vs. Bacone on Nov. 27 

Benchmark 
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 - 2:49 vs. Pittsburg State (1/19/19)
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
30 - 9:07 (2nd Half) vs. Pittsburg State on Jan. 19, 2019
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
16 - 0:08 (1st Half) vs. Central Missouri on Jan. 31, 2019
14 - 2:09 (2nd Half) at Lindenwood on Jan. 26, 2019
14 - 2:23 (2nd Half) vs. Oklahoma Baptist on Nov. 19, 2018
14 - 00:34 (1st Half) at Rogers State on Nov. 14, 2018
12 - 12:28 (2nd Half vs. Missouri Southern on Jan. 17, 2019
11 - 14:19 (2nd Half) vs. Missouri Western on Jan. 5, 2019
10 - 16:10 (1st Half) vs. Dallas Baptist on Nov. 24, 2018

Our Colors            
Northeastern State's uniform record during the 2018-19 season. 
6-3    Gray
2-1    White
1-4    Green
3-1    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.