EDMOND – Northeastern State (6-15 in MIAA) women's basketball traveled to rival Central Oklahoma (12-6 in MIAA) for the 67th all-time meeting but couldn't snap the 11-game skid in the series falling 86-68. NSU shot 40.0 percent or better from 3-point distance for the third consecutive game.

Zaria Collins led the RiverHawks with 16 points, including 11 in the first stanza. She was joined in double figures by Cenia Hayes with 14 and Britney Ho added 12. After setting a program record just one game before with a plus-20 rebound margin NSU was outrebounded by 19.

Cenia Hayes scored the first points for the RiverHawks with a 3-pointer for the third straight game and Zaria Collins scored the next four but the Bronchos were firing from deep making four in the opening stanza. Although the RiverHawks made seven at the free throw line in the quarter, they shot just 30.8 percent from the floor. Collins had 11 points in the first quarter of action. UCO shot 56.3 percent.

"Our shots were tough and I think their length inside definitely bothered us," head coach Fala Bullock said. "I thought Zaria started off really great at attacking to [Kelsey Johnson] and sticking with things but as the game wore on we got a little fatigued."

In the second quarter, NSU Isabella Regalado and Kiarra Brooks combined for three makes from deep but UCO's defense continued to limit high percentage shots. The Bronchos continued to pressure and had three steals that they were able to convert on the other end. Following the Brooks make NSU was back within single digits, 40-31.

To open the second half down 43-31, following a defensive stop in the paint the RiverHawks allowed a 7-2 Broncho run. The RiverHawks found their groove shooting 53.3 percent in the quarter but allowed 64.3 percent. Britney Ho scored the final six points of the quarter.

"Our shot selection wasn't always the best if we could have cleaned up some of those drives," Bullock said. "I thought they responded well after halftime, we made a couple of runs at them but you can't trade baskets when you're trying to get back into the game."

It took Northeastern State to the 5:25 mark before scoring in the final quarter and Central Oklahoma scored 14 unanswered. It did not make a field goal until Ho's turnaround layup with 4:08 left. The RiverHawks then went on a 13-5 run thanks to back-to-back makes by Ho, a Shae Sanchez 3-pointer and two consecutive 3-point makes by Hayes.

The Bronchos were led by Kaci Richardson with 20 points and Kelsey Johnson had an 18-point, 18-rebound double-double. UCO had 21 fast break points thanks in part to nine steals, shot 48.5 percent from the field and made 10 from beyond the arc.

The RiverHawks close out the regular season at home hosting Rogers State Saturday, Feb. 27 at 1:30 p.m. They have a shot at making the MIAA Championship for the first time since the 2017-18 season with a win. It holds the tiebreaker with Missouri Western and Northwest Missouri.

NOTES
The RiverHawks are now 3-3 with the starting group this season…NSU's bench contributed 23 compared to UCO's 21…Collins had her tenth game this season with three or more offensive rebounds…Eighth-straight 10-plus point outing for Hayes…Shae Sanchez led NSU in assists for the 13th game this season…NSU is now 3-8 on Saturday's.