Game #28
Northeastern State (17-10, 10-8 MIAA) at Emporia State (10-16, 4-13 MIAA)
Thursday, Feb. 27 at 7:30 p.m. | Emporia, Kan.

Game Coverage	goriverhawksgo.com/coverage.aspx
NSU Game Notes	Game Notes
Live Audio	NSU Digital Network & Billy Country 96.3
Live Video	The MIAA Network

Opening Tip 

• At 17 wins, the RiverHawks have won its most games in a season since 2014. 
• The RiverHawks have 31 wins in the last two seasons, the four years prior, they had 28. 
• This will be the second straight season NSU will finish its regular season with Emporia State.
• Including his sophomore season at Ranger JC, Caleb Smith has started in 86 straight games.  Heading into this week's games, the senior needs 61 points to reach 1,000 at Northeastern State.  Saturday's game at Fort Hays State was his 100th.
• Smith is seventh against MIAA programs with 17.2 points a game. 
• Josh Ihek is second in the MIAA and 45th nationally with 40 blocks.  Ihek is tied for the best in league play with 1.9 blocks a game.
• The RiverHawks are second in the MIAA in blocks with a 97 and are 57th nationally. 
• Kendrick Thompson is fifth in the MIAA in scoring with 17.8 points a game.
• In the last three games, Brad Davis has led NSU off the bench in scoring.  The junior is 22 points away from 1,000 in his overall career.    
• Northeastern State leads the MIAA and is third nationally in field-goal percentage defense (39.9).
• On the offensive glass, NSU is third in conference play with 10.37 boards a game. 

The Series with Emporia State

• The last three meetings with Emporia State in White Auditorium have been decided within six points. 
• The last two meetings with ESU have been decided in the final minute of the game. 
• Seven straight meetings have been decided by single digits. 
• NSU has led by at-least 13-points in the last two meetings.
• Emporia State is 5-4 at home when facing Northeastern State. 
• A 2005 meeting was the last time a team didn't win back-to-back times against each other. 
• Head Coach Mark Downey is 3-3 all-time against the Hornets.

About the Hornets

• Emporia State has lost 78 games by players to injury this year.
• The Hornets started four freshmen in their last game at Central Oklahoma.
• Will face NSU on an eight-game skid, its longest side the 2017-18 season where they dropped nine straight.
• The Hornets have lost ten straight on the road but are 9-5 at home this season. 
• They hold two wins in the last 13 contests and have lost nine of their last 11  after losing leading rebounder Brenden Van Dyke.
• Led in scoring by Jumah'Ri Turner who averages 13.8 points per game.  He holds the MIAA-best free-throw percentage at 93.3.
• The Hornets have MIAA's best field-goal percentage defense at 42.7-percent. 

Looking Back

• The RiverHawks split games last week, falling to beating Nebraska-Kearney and falling at Fort Hays State.
• NSU led in double-digits in both games. 
• Fort Hays State scored 19-straight points against NSU in the second half, and put up 54 points in the second half (tied for the most under a Downey led team at NSU).
• Kendrick Thompson has averaged 23 points in the last three games. 

Tournament Watch

• Northeastern State has clinched a spot in the MIAA Tournament for the second straight season and for the sixth time overall.
• They will either play as the six or seven seed in the bracket.
• If the RiverHawks are the six seed, they will play on March 4 at 8:15 p.m. 
• If the RiverHawks are the seven seed, they will play on March 6 at 8:15 p.m.
• NSU fans will need to root for Newman and Central Oklahoma (sadly) this week to upend the Lopers of Nebraska-Kearney, who are in the mix for the six seed in the tournament.