Northeastern State vs. Rogers State	Wednesday, Feb. 23 | 3 p.m. | NSU Event Center
Northeastern State at Rogers State	Saturday, Feb. 26 | 3:30 p.m. | NSU Event Center
Game Notes	Northeastern State •  Rogers State
Listen	NSU Digital Network
Watch	The MIAA Network
Live Stats	NSU Live Stats
Social Media	@RiverHawksMBB  | @RiverHawksMBB  | Facebook

The Setup

• The RiverHawks close out the regular season with a pair of rivalry games against Rogers State.  Northeastern State is fighting for a spot into the MIAA Tournament and holds a one-game lead over Pittsburg State and Nebraska-Kearney; they are one game back from a three-way tie that involves Rogers State. 
• The meeting will be the fifth between a pair of NSU men's basketball alumni in head coaches Ja Havens and Justin Barkley. 

Last Time Out

Central Oklahoma 75, at Northeastern State 62  | Feb. 19, 2022 | Tahlequah

• Northeastern State let a 14-point halftime lead slip away as Central Oklahoma rallied for a 75-62 victory in MIAA Conference action at the NSU Event Center.
• The RiverHawks were on fire in the opening 20 minutes, hitting 17-29 from the field for 58 percent and was 7-14 from behind the arc to take a 41-27 lead into the break.  Emeka Obukwelu was 5-6 from the floor to lead all scorers with 11 first-half points.  UCO was held to 9-31 from the field for 29 percent.
• NSU battled foul trouble and poor shooting in the second half as UCO turned up the defensive intensity to pull away for the 75-62 victory.

Storylines

• Emeka Obukwelu is tenth overall in the MIAA, averaging 15.2 points per game.  Nationally speaking, Obukwelu is among the top-100 in five 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 26 of the previous 29 contests, going back to last season.  In his short career at NSU so far, Cook has 544 points scored in 47 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 (5.0), and second in overall assists (63). 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 five of the last eight games and has averaged 10.0 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 122 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 Rogers State

• Rogers State has lost five consecutive on the road this season and has been dominant inside the Claremore Expo Center, going 11-2 with their lone setback in the 2022 calendar year being to Central Oklahoma. 
• The Hillcats are 13th in the MIAA in personal fouls per game (18.6) and third this season in field goal percentage (42.6). 
• Brewster Peacock is one of two players in Rogers State's history to have 1,000 points and 500 rebounds in a career.   The COVID-senior broke the 500 rebound mark against Central Oklahoma.
• Devin Pullum is ranked 16th in NCAA Division II men's basketball in active career points scored at 1,740.  In his second season at Rogers State, he has averaged 15.8 points per game.  

Last Time They Met

Northeastern State 78, Rogers State 76 | Feb. 27, 2021 | Tahlequah

• Northeastern State closed out its up and down season with an exclamation point rallying back from a 15 point deficit to beat Rogers State
• The RiverHawks only led for just over two minutes, but it was the most important ones.
• Christian Cook powered into the rim for the go-ahead bucket with four seconds left.

Series Notes

Northeastern State trails 2-8 | 1-4 at home | 1-4 in Claremore | 0-0 neutral 

• All five meetings with Rogers State in Tahlequah have been single digit decisions.
• One of the more unique coaching meetings in NCAA Division II men's basketball in Oklahoma with both head coaches being Northeastern State alumni. NSU's Ja Havens was a graduate assistant coach for two seasons while RSU's
• Justin Barkley played for the Redmen. Barkley would go on to be a member of the 2003 National Championship team at NSU.
• Lucas Hunter, NSU's assistant coach, was on Rogers State bench for one season as an assistant.
• Northeastern State played the Oklahoma Military Academy, which operated on the site of what is now Rogers States six times, and was 6-0 against OMA.