EDMOND – Northeastern State couldn't carry the momentum of a hot finish to the first half and dropped an 80-65 contest to rivals Central Oklahoma Thursday evening in Hamilton Field House. 

The win was the eighth consecutive for UCO and snapped a Northeastern State five-game win streak in the series history. 

Northeastern State (8-6, 3-5 MIAA) would commit 18 turnovers which UCO cashed in for 23 points.  The RiverHawks finished the night as the better shooting team overall, edging UCO with 49.0-percent to their 48.3-percent.  Central had 11 extra possessions, thanks to the NSU miscues. 

Rebounding was near even with UCO holding onto a 30-29 lead, with both teams making 11 three-pointers. 

Christian Cook turned in his sixth career 20-point game with 20 to lead NSU.  Rashad Perkins scored 19 off the bench, and Emeka Obukwelu was a rebound short of a double-double with nine boards and 16 points.

The RiverHawks made up for a slow start where they shot 1-for-9 in the first ten minutes of the game, eating up a 14 point UCO lead.   Northeastern State owned the remainder of the half and shooting 10-for-14.  At the arc, they were a blazing 7-for-8, with Cook and Perkins having 12 points by the intermission.   It would be a new ballgame with both teams locked up at 33 points. 

Central (12-2, 7-1 MIAA) spun around in the second half and opened on a 19-9 run landed five treys to push their lead back out to double digits by the 14:06 mark.  Northeastern State would continue to see the UCO lead and expand to as far out as 20 points.   The Bronchos would finish the second half with nine three-pointers and shooting 54.3-percent on the floor. 

Northeastern State will return to the court on Saturday, where they will visit Newman for a 3:30 p.m. tip-off.