TAHLEQUAH -- Northeastern State finishes their pre-Thanksgiving slate of games with a trip to Arkadelphia, Ark. to face a foe from the Great American Conference (GAC) in Henderson State on Monday, Nov. 20. 

The RiverHawks enter the week coming off a 71-58 win over Haskell (Okla.) last Wednesday and a 74-57 victory against Arkansas-Fort Smith last Saturday. 

The Setup
- Head women's basketball coach Keith Ferguson is in his first season in Tahlequah. Ferguson spent the previous seven at the NAIA level with Bethany College (Kan.). He is the third-winningest coach in Bethany women's basketball history, tallying 121 wins across his time coaching the Swedes. 
- The RiverHawks are in their 12th season as members of the MIAA and 27th season as an NCAA Division II program.  
- One more non-conference opponent remains for NSU this season, as they face Ecclesia (Ark.) in Tahlequah on Dec. 30. 

Storylines
- NSU's victory over UAFS on Saturday was their third straight, marking the longest winning streak for the RiverHawks since the 2015-16 season. 
- The RiverHawks were in charge for a majority of last week's action, as they only spent a combined 21 seconds playing from behind across matchups with Haskell and UAFS. 
- Early offense has been hard to come by against the NSU defense, as the RiverHawks have held opponents to a combined 13-of-65 (20.0%) shooting in first quarters this season. 
- Halie Jones enters Monday with four straight double-digit scoring performances to open the season, most recently logging 11 points against UAFS last weekend. The fifth year senior currently leads the team in scoring with 14.0 points per game. 
- Grace Abercrombie played a leading role in NSU's 26-point second quarter against the Lions last Saturday, providing ten points during the period. Abercrombie's 12 points on the afternoon from four-of-six shooting marked a season-high for the junior, who is in her first season with the program. 
- The RiverHawks enter Monday with a three-way tie for the team's rebounding crown early in the campaign, as Tor'e Alford, Jaylee Kindred and Courtney Lee have grabbed 17 boards apiece through four games (4.3 per game). 
- Getting to the charity stripe was a strength for the RiverHawks on Saturday, as they received 30 tries at the line against UAFS. Notably, Courtney Lee drew 11 of the opposition's 23 fouls in the win and led the team with eight made free throws on a team-high 12 attempts. 
- Everyone's received a piece of the action lately, as all eleven members of the 2023-24 roster have received playing time in the last three games. 

Northeastern State at Henderson State // November 20 at 5:30 p.m. // Live Coverage

About Henderson State (2-1)
- The Reddies enter Monday's matchup after a 106-98 double overtime win over Delta State in Cleveland, Miss. 
- Jill Thomas is in her 11th season leading Henderson State women's basketball. Under her leadership, the Reddies have made six straight GAC tournament appearances. A win over Northeastern State would be her 150th with the Reddies. 
- The trio of Ashley Farrar (20.0 points per game), Tori Gittens (19.3 PPG) and Natalie Cardenas (17 PPG) have been hard to stop early this season. Three-point shooting has guided the strong starts for Farrar and Gittens, as the two have shot 46.7% (7-of-15) and 68.8% (11-of-16) from downtown so far. 
- Olivia Allen has been HSU's top contributor off the bench early, averaging 10.7 PPG and leading the team with eight steals across three games. 

Last Time They Met
Northeastern State 76, Henderson State 49 | Nov. 29, 1996 | Lawton, Okla.

- HSU's 49 points over the game marked the fewest for an NSU opponent across the 1996-97 season. 
- The victory was NSU's second of the campaign. They went on to win 13, with five coming in OIC play. 
- The matchup was one of two on consecutive days held in Lawton, Okla. The RiverHawks faced Angelo State the following day in a victorious 72-61 effort. 

Series Notes
- The teams have only met twice, with both claiming one win apiece.
- Both of the first two games were decided by double digits.
- Monday will be the first meeting across the series in Arkadelphia.

Coming Up
Northeastern State's 22-game conference schedule kicks off Nov. 30, when Fort Hays State heads to the NSU Event Center to face the RiverHawks at 5:30 p.m.