Game #2
Northeastern State (0-1 MIAA) at #21/25 Missouri Southern (3-1 MIAA)
Thursday, December 3 at 7:30 p.m. | Joplin, Mo. - Leggett & Platt Athletic Center

Game Coverage	goriverhawksgo.com/coverage.aspx
COVID-19 Protocols	Fans are not allowed to attend
NSU Game Notes	Game Notes
MOSO Game Notes	Game Notes
Live Audio	NSU Digital Network
Live Video	The MIAA Network

Opening Tip 

• Thursday will start a stretch of three games in six days for the RiverHawks.  Tuesday's home contest with Missouri Western is a make-up date due to COVID-19 protocols.
• Speaking of COVID-19 protocols, fans will NOT be allowed to attend Thursday's game at Missouri Southern.  Only parents of Missouri Southern basketball student-athletes will be permitted entry to the game.   The game will be streamed live on The MIAA Network for a fee, and an audio broadcast will be available on GoRiverHawksGo.com for free. 
• Northeastern State has dropped its last six MIAA road openers.  Dec. 5, 2013, at Lincoln (87-72) is the previous time NSU open league play with a victory. 
• For ten NSU student-athletes, it will be the first time that they will face Missouri Southern. 
• Thursday will be a rematch of last year's quarterfinal meeting of the MIAA Tournament. 
• Within the NCAA Central Region, the MIAA is the only one playing at the moment of the three conferences.  Both the Northeastern Sun Intercollegiate Conference and Great American Conference will not start play until Jan. 2021.  
• The MIAA Coaches voted the RiverHawks to finish in 13th this season.  

NSU individual player notes are on page one of the game notes.

NSU's last five against Missouri Southern
3/6/20 -  L, 60-96 (N) at Kansas City, Mo. (MIAA Tournament) 
1/29/20 - L, 62-65 (A)
1/17/19 - W, 83-80 (H)
12/8/18 - L, 79-85 (A) 
1/24/18 - W, 78-48 (H) 

The Series with Missouri Southern

• The RiverHawks have dropped five straight to the Lions in Joplin.  However, the last three results have come within seven points.
• The last win for NSU over Missouri Southern away from Tahlequah was on Jan. 26, 2013.
• A rematch of  March's MIAA Tournament Quarterfinal meeting.  The Lions would end NSU's season with a 98-60 loss. 
• Fun note: After winning 20 straight games to open the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.  Northeastern State handed the Lions its first loss on their current home court in the Nov. 28, 2000 meeting (63-55).  Current NSU head coach Ja Havens was a graduate assistant in that win. 
• Havens has not faced Missouri Southern as a head coach.   He did meet them once in 2005 as an assistant at Drury and once as a student-athlete at NSU in 1997. 

About the Lions

• Home opener for the Lions.  However, only parents of Southern student-athletes will be allowed to attend Thursday's game due to local COVID-19 restrictions in Joplin.  The Lions were ranked seventh nationally in Division II attendance per game at 1,809.
• Headed into last weekend ranked at number-21 nationally by the Division II coaches and number-25 by the Division II SIDs. 
• Southern trailed from the opening horn and lost 76-68 at Lincoln on Saturday evening. 
• Main scoring threat is senior Cam Martin, who is eighth on the Lions All-Time points list with 1,550 points.  In four meetings with NSU, Martin has three 20-point games and averages 22-points. 
• The Lions have won their last six home openers and 29 of their last 31 at home. Jan. 3, 2013, vs. Northwest Missouri (69-68) is the last time Missouri Southern has lost an MIAA home opener. 
• They played the first number of games without their head coach Jeff Boschee who self-isolated due to COVID-19 direct contact. 

Looking Back

• The RiverHawks saw a modest two-year streak of winning their season opener come to an end with a 76-66 loss to Emporia State.
• Brad Davis led the RiverHawks with 19-points off the bench and recorded his 1,000 overall career point last time out. 
• The last game for NSU was a true opener, with no exhibitions or preseason contests being allowed to be played.
• It was the first game for head coach Ja Havens' at Northeastern State.  He is the first since Ken Hayes (1983–97) to hold a degree from the institution and later lead the program.