TAHLEQUAH -- Shae Sanchez paced the RiverHawks with her third 20-point game this season, but like the weather outside, NSU offense cooled Saturday as they dropped a 69-46 contest to Nebraska-Kearney inside the Event Center. 

Sanchez had 22 points, on 10-for-19 shooting, an NSU career-high for the junior. She added four rebounds and three assists off the bench. Morgan Lee added seven points, and Zaria Collins pulled down a team-high five rebounds.

The Lopers opened the game, scoring the first six points before NSU got on the board when Sanchez took a pass from Tree Brooks and hit a short jumper with 6:45 to go. Brooks would hit a jumper with 5:01 left to cut it to a two-point UNK lead. The RiverHawks would end the quarter on an 8-3 run, including a layup by Sanchez with 29 seconds left to give the RiverHawks a 10-9 lead.

Nebraska-Kearney set the second quarter tone early, starting on an 8-2 run. The RiverHawks kept the score close, as Brooks would hit a jumper at the 6:55 mark to make it just a three-point game.

The RiverHawks cut the lead to only three when Morgan Lee hit a three with 1:10 left, and Sanchez hit a free throw 30 seconds later, but the Lopers hit a jumper with nine seconds remaining to take a 30-25 lead into the locker room.

NSU kept it close early in the third quarter, but the Lopers went on a 6-0 run midway through, aided by three RiverHawks turnovers. They would finish the quarter on a 9-1 run to take a 51-35 lead.

Nebraska-Kearney continued to lead in double-figures in the fourth quarter, going 6-11 from the field and 6-6 from the free-throw line. Sanchez scored six points in the quarter, with Morgan Lee 4-4 from the free-throw line.

The loss drops the RiverHawks to 4-10 on the season and 2-5 in MIAA action. The Lopers improve to 15-2, with a record of 4-2 in conference play.

Northeastern State will be back in action on Wednesday when they face in-state rival Central Oklahoma. They will wrap up the weekend on Saturday at Newman.