TAHLEQUAH– Northeastern State closed out their season-opening four-game homestand with a 74-57 victory over Arkansas-Fort Smith inside the NSU Event Center. Saturday's win is the third consecutive for the RiverHawks, their longest streak since the start of the 2015-16 season.
The RiverHawks (3-1) never trailed the contest after holding the visiting Lions (2-2) to 1-for-16 shooting through the opening stanza. NSU followed up with a 26-point second quarter and was in the driver's seat the rest of the way.
"I thought defensively we did a really good job after the first three minutes of keeping them out of the paint and not letting them get deep, which took them out of the stuff that they want to do," head women's basketball coach
Keith Ferguson said, "They were incredible executing today and finishing off plays."
Four players hit double figures, highlighted by
Grace Abercrombie's team-leading 12-point performance on four-of-six shooting. She also contributed five rebounds and three assists, as well as a block and a steal.
"What got Grace [Abercrombie] on the floor, and kept her on the floor, is she guarded and rebounded, and then the offense came to her," Ferguson said, "She came in and did some really good things."
While openings were more plentiful for the Lions in the second half, as they went on to outscore the RiverHawks across the third and fourth quarters 36-30, the early deficit proved to be too much for the visitors, with NSU's strong displays on both ends of the floor allowing them to avenge last season's loss in Fort Smith to UAFS and give them their third straight win on the campaign.
Courtney Lee led the RiverHawks with seven rebounds and had 10 points,
Madina Camara played 15 minutes and added 11 points off the bench.
Halie Jones hit double-digit scoring for the fourth consecutive game with 11 points.
The RiverHawks head to Arkadelphia, Ark. for their first road test of the season, facing Henderson State on Monday, Nov. 20 at 5:30 p.m.
