Game #22

Northeastern State (6-15 MIAA) at Rogers State (5-16 MIAA)
Saturday, Feb. 27 at 1:30 p.m. | Tahlequah, Okla.

Game Coverage	goriverhawksgo.com/coverage.aspx
COVID-19 Protocols	NSU Guidelines
NSU Game Notes	NSU Game Notes
RSU Game Notes	RSU Game Notes
Live Audio	NSU Digital Network
Live Video	The MIAA Network

Opening tip
• Northeastern State has two players who score in double figures in Zaria Collins with 16.5 points and Cenia Hayes averages 15.9. They both average over six rebounds as well; Collins 7.4, Hayes 6.2.
• In the first meeting of the season, Collins led with 18 points while Hayes had a 13-point, 11-rebound double-double.
• Both teams allow opponents to score at high percentage clips and allow 70-plus points per game. The RiverHawks, however, allow just 29.2 percent from 3-point distance.
• Northeastern State set a rebound margin record at Newman last Thursday of +20 and nearly allowed Central Oklahoma to set a record with a -19 margin Saturday. Both teams rank towards the bottom of the MIAA in rebounding.
• It is senior day and the RiverHawks will honor their lone senior Hayes following the game. Shae Sanchez has elected to return for a fifth year next season.
• The RiverHawks have not played in a week while most other teams have played makeup contests this past week. The NSU men's team has played three since Saturday.
• It is possible for NSU to finish tied for the eighth and final spot in the MIAA Tournament but Missouri Southern owns the tiebreaker.
• Rogers State allows opponents to get to the line 20 times per game; NSU shoots 73.3 percent from the free throw stripe.
• Saturday's meeting is one of seven MIAA contests going on around the league.
• NSU operates at 25 percent fan capacity during the 2020-21 campaign in accordance with COVID-19 regulations.

Looking back
• In the 67th all-time meeting NSU couldn't snap the 11-game skid to Central Oklahoma 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. Shae Sanchez led in assists for the 13th game in 2020-21.
• After setting a program record just one game before with a plus-20 rebound margin NSU was outrebounded by 19. Collins had her 10th three-plus offensive rebound game.
• The RiverHawks were outshot by 12 percentage points. Hayes made a 3-pointer to start the NSU scoring for the third straight game.

Hillcats notes
• Allow the second most points in the MIAA; 73.6 and score just 63.3.
• Have been outrebounded by a margin of -6.1 this season.
• Lead the conference with 4.5 blocks per game. • The Hillcats have dropped the last six contests.
• Are led in scoring by Samariah Thompson with 15.5 per game. Vanessa Gajdosova leads with 5.1 rebounds.
• Freshman Kloe Bowin is a Tahlequah High School graduate.

The series with Rogers State
• Northeastern State dropped the last two games, but was on a four game win streak prior.
• The RiverHawks lead the series 5-3 and have defended home court the last two meetings in Tahlequah.
• The teams are travel partners. • As a head coach at NSU, Fala Bullock is 3-2 vs. the Hillcats.

Undersized? Big heart
• Sophomore Zaria Collins has cemented herself on the top of opposing team scouting reports this season. She averages 16.5 points shooting 45.9 from the field and 7.4 rebounds. Collins stands 5-foot 9-inches, but goes to battle in the paint and as a result is third in the MIAA with 3.0 offensive rebounds per game, it's 64th nationally. In the three games she missed NSU was 0-3. She also ranks fifth in the MIAA playing 35.4 minutes per game which is eighth of all forwards nationally. Collins had a 24-point, 17-rebound performance at Newman in which she was 10- 12 from the field. The 17 rebounds was a career-high. She has three double-doubles this season

Hayes' ways
• Senior Cenia Hayes has been the scoring leader the past three seasons for the RiverHawks. In the last eight games she has returned to form averaging 17.5 points and 5.5 rebounds. In the last three she has being the early threat knocking down multiple 3-pointers in the first five minutes of the game. She has six 20-plus point games this season and had back-to-back double-doubles in mid-January. She nearly notched a double-double with 16 points and nine rebounds at Newman.

Chasing history
• Sanchez currently averages 3.8 assists per game. If the season ended today she would tie for the program record in a season.
• Collins currently second for the most minutes per game in a season.