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Men's Basketball vs Emporia State
Zac Cahill

Critical Home Stand Awaits NSU Men's Basketball

Northeastern State vs. Newman Thursday, Feb. 17 | 7:30 p.m. | NSU Event Center 
Northeastern State vs. Central Okla. Saturday, Feb. 19 | 3:30 p.m. | NSU Event Center 
Game Notes Northeastern State •  Newman • Central Okla.
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The Setup

  • The RiverHawks are in Green Country for the final four games of the regular season, battling for a spot in the MIAA Tournament.  Northeastern State will look to hand Newman its ninth consecutive loss while trying to stay a game ahead of Nebraska-Kearney in the league standings.   Central Oklahoma will visit NSU for the 90th time on Saturday for the RiverHawks' Senior Day.

Last Time Out

at Fort Hays State 66, Northeastern St. 57 | Feb. 12, 2022 | Hays, Kan.
  • Northeastern State could not overcome a slow start as Fort Hays State claimed the 66-57 victory in MIAA action inside Gross Memorial Coliseum here Saturday afternoon.
  • NSU placed two players in double figures, with Rashad Perkins leading the way with 17 points, and Christian Cook posted his 20th game in double figures with 16 points.
  • Northeastern State went 18-49 from the field for 36 percent, while the Tigers were 18-45 for 40 percent.  The difference came at the free-throw line, with Fort Hays shooting 22-27 to just 12-16 for the RiverHawks.

Storylines

  • Emeka Obukwelu is tenth overall in the MIAA, averaging 15.4 points per game.  Nationally speaking, Obukwelu is among the top-100 in six statistical categories.  He is the only player in the Division II men's basketball with a pair of 20 rebound games this season and is third in the MIAA with 8.3 boards per outing.  Obukwelu crossed the 1,000 career point plateau at Missouri Southern.
  • Christian Cook has scored at least ten in 25 of the previous 27 contests, going back to last season.  In his short career at NSU so far, Cook has 523 points scored in 45 games.
  • Rashad Perkins is third on the NSU roster in points per game at 12.2.   At Missouri Western, his 40 points were the most for an NSU men's basketball player since 2014 and tied for the most in the game this season in the MIAA.  Perkins scored his 1,000 overall career point on Jan. 29 at Missouri Southern. 
  • Tylor Arnold has two double-double games this season for NSU and is fourth in points (9.1), second in rebounding (5.1), and second in overall assists (58). Arnold played for head coach Ja Havens for three seasons at East Central (Okla.) and was on the top-10 list for career minutes played, career steals, and career throw percentage.   He scored his 1,000 NCAA Division II point on Feb. 3 against Emporia State.
  • Dillon Bailey scored NSU's final ten points in their late win over Washburn.  He has scored at least ten points in four of the last six games and has averaged 10.1 points during that stretch. 
  • Northeastern State men's basketball set an attendance record during Thanksgiving break, with 2,231 fans attending their game against Haskell.  The number is good for the 25th-most in NCAA Division II basketball this season, with the program ranked 21st overall in attendance.
  • The RiverHawks has made a three-pointer in 120 consecutive games.  Feb. 2, 2017 against Southwest Baptist is the last time NSU did not make a three.
  • The 2021-22 season is the 93rd for men's basketball at Northeastern State.
  • The RiverHawks are entering their tenth season as members of the MIAA and 25th season as an NCAA Division II program.

About Newman

  • The Jets are eliminated from the MIAA Tournament and will come into Thursday's meeting looking for their first road win of the season.  Newman has lost ten games away from Wichita this season.
  • Israel Barnes has accounted for one-third of the Jets offense with 19.3 points per game against MIAA foes which land him fifth overall among association scorers.  Barnes is a Wichita native, playing two seasons at Weber State, he transferred to Texas-Permian Basin for the 2020-21 season but did not play.  He missed the first four games of the season and three in December. 
  • True-freshman Stevie Strong has six 20-point games this season, averaging 13.2 points per game.  Strong was Missouri's 3A Player of the Year and is ranked 11th nationally sinking 93.3-percent of his free throws this season.
  • Newman is last in the MIAA shooting 41.3-percent from the field, bottom 25 nationally.

Last Time They Met

at Newman 75, Northeastern State 66 | Jan. 8, 2022 | Wichita
  • Turnovers and ten Newman three-pointers handed the RiverHawks a tough 75-66 road setback Saturday evening.
  • Emeka Obukwelu turned in his third double-double of the season with ten points and 20 rebounds.  Christian Cook recorded his seventh career 20 point performance with a team-high 20 points. 
  • Northeastern State committed 18 turnovers which Newman cashed in for a 15-to-7 scoring advantage.   The Jets' ten three-pointers matched their season-high, with Stevie Strong scoring 29 points and landing half of the team's three-point shots. 

Series Notes

Northeastern State leads 7-3 | 6-0 at home | 1-3 in Wichita | 0-0 neutral 
  • Among MIAA programs, Newman has one of the shorter histories with the NSU men's basketball program.
  • NSU has played neutral site contests hosted by Newman in 1984 and 1985 where they went 2-2. One of those contests was against current MIAA foe Fort Hays State.
  • In Tahlequah, Northeastern State is 6-0 when facing the Jets.

About Central Okla.

  • Central has been ranked as high as No. 9 in national polls this season and is No. 18 by the coaches and No. 24 by the media.  The Bronchos enter the week a game back of Northwest Missouri for the top spot in the MIAA standings.
  • Isaiah Wade was named to the Small College Basketball's Bevo Francis Watch List Top 50.  The sixth-year senior is averaging 18.3 points per game, fourth most in the MIAA, and 8.7 rebounds per game, good for second best in the MIAA.
  • The Bronchos lead the MIAA in eight statical categories and are second in six others.  They are ranked ninth nationally with 287 made free throws and 16th with 406 assists.   Commits the third most fouls per game in the MIAA a 14.8 and they are ninth in committing 12.0 turnovers per game.
  • Callen Haydon leads the UCO with 141 assists this season which paces the MIAA. 

Last Time They Met

at Central Oklahoma 80, Northeastern State 65 | Jan. 8, 2022 | 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. 
  • Northeastern State 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. 
  • 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.

Series Notes

Northeastern State trails 61-102 | 37-55 at home | 23-56 in Edmond | 1-2 neutral 
  • The oldest active series for the RiverHawks that dates back to 1925.
  • Northeastern State has won the two games in Tahlequah and inside the NSU Event Center, the RiverHawks are 3-5.
  • Inside Hamilton Field House, NSU is 17-25 overall and has won the last three meetings on UCO's home floor.
  • NSU downed the Bronchos, 83-71, in overtime to close Jack Dobbins Field House on Feb. 27, 2013. 
  • Northeastern State is the first team to play at UCO's Hamilton Field House (Jan. 8, 1965).
  • In MIAA play, the RiverHawks trail the series 8-11.
  • Head Coach Ja Havens played against UCO twice during his senior season at Northeastern State.
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