TAHLEQUAH – Northeastern State returns to Tahlequah this week and will host its lone MIAA home Wednesday tilt against Missouri Southern.

The RiverHawks (5-10, 2-9 MIAA) are 5-3 inside the NSU Event Center this season and will seek to halt a three-game skid.  Ashton Hackler led the team with 19 points Saturday afternoon in a 61-57 setback at Lincoln.  NSU trailed by a pair with just under two minutes left in the contest but couldn't pull even with the Blue Tigers. 

Missouri Southern (14-4, 6-4 MIAA) has been ranked as high as second nationally after opening the season with 11 consecutive wins.  Since then, the Lions have lost four of its last seven games.  On the national charts, Missouri Southern is third overall, with just over 11 turnovers per game.  Lacy Strokes is fifth in NCAA D-II with 53 steals and fifth in the MIAA with 15.6 points per game. 

Courtney Lee has four double-doubles this season, and she is seventh in the MIAA, averaging 7.7 rebounds per game.  The sophomore has averaged 13.2 points per game, nearly the same as her teammate Ashton Hackler who is fifth in the MIAA in free-throw percentage (81.7).  After missing four games, Bri Wietelman has averaged 15 points off the bench in the last two contests and has shot 57.9 percent from the field.  Against MIAA foes, the RiverHawks are sixth in defending the arc, with teams shooting 30.2 percent. 

Missouri Southern holds a 20-17 series edge over the RiverHawks and has won the previous five meetings between the two programs.  In Tahlequah, Northeastern State holds a 12-4 advantage over the Lions. 

Tip-off is slated for 5:30 p.m. fans can watch the game online on The MIAA Network at TheMIAANetwork.com/nsugoriverhawks.